Prejudice in the City
by Frilly Pineapple
Summary: Jack has been hurt both physically and emotionally by ignorant, homophobic men. When Will sees that his friend is hurt, he tries to help, compromising his relationship with Vince in the process.
1. Abuse

A/N: Please, no flames. Read and review!!

Disclaimer: I do not own Will and Grace.

Summary: Jack has been abused by two homophobic men and tries to hide. Will, noticing his friend is hurt, tries to help as best as he can. Grace is out of town with Karen because Karen wants to cheer Grace up over Leo.

**Chapter 1**

Will lay down on his couch, happy that he could be alone and didn't have to worry about work or anything else. Grace and Karen were at Karen's cabin because Karen had wanted to take Grace out. Will thought it was strange of Karen to be so nice, but he hadn't said anything and had persuaded Grace to go. Jack wasn't home, and Will figured he was out on a date with some guy that he had forgotten the name of.

Tired of lying on his couch with nothing to do, he got up and grabbed his overcoat. If his friends were out, why couldn't he go out too? He decided it might be nice to go to a club or maybe see a movie. Checking to make sure he had his keys and wallet, he left his apartment.

The elevator door opened and a very distraught Jack walked out, slowly. Will stared at his friend before going over to his side, his hopes of a fun evening gone and replaced with worry for his friend. "Jack?"

Jack didn't look up when Will said his name, he didn't want to. He was tired and emotionally drained. His body hurt and he just wanted to go into his room and have a good cry.

Will looked his friend over while Jack continued walking towards his apartment. Jack's clothes were torn and he had bruises forming on his face; Will was worried. "Jack, what happened to you?" If his friend didn't look so hurt, he would have joked about rough sex or something of the sort.

Jack looked at Will and smiled meekly. "I'm tired and I want to go to bed."

Will frowned; he wasn't going to be deterred that easily. "Jack, tell me what happened. I can see you were hurt; how?"

"I...I...Will it was awful!" Jack sobbed. He didn't know what to do. He had gone to a gay club and was talking to a cute guy and having a drink and the next thing he knew he was outside in an alley being harassed. He didn't know what had happened.

Will put his arms around Jack in a hug, but Jack pulled away. "Jack, I'm sorry. Come inside." He gently led his friend into his apartment. Will didn't know what was wrong with Jack, but he needed to know. Will sat Jack down on his couch and got a glass of water for Jack along with a wet cloth. Will could see tear stains on Jack's face, and he was worried.

Jack sat on the couch, not moving. He was lost in thoughts of what had happened. He remembered the cute guy giving him a drink and them laughing over something but he couldn't remember going out into the alley. He shut his eyes; willing himself to remember, even though he wanted nothing more than to forget.

He had left the club feeling a little woozy and knowing he was drunk. There were two guys across the street that yelled something at him, but Jack couldn't remember what they had said. He remembered them crossing the street and coming over. Jack opened his eyes; he didn't want to remember anymore.

Will looked at Jack, concern etched in his face. "Jack?" He gently touched Jack's face where he had a bruise. "What happened, Jack?"

Jack just shook his head and scooted away from his best friend. He was ashamed and didn't want to talk about it to Will. He wanted to forget it had ever happened.

"Jack, tell me," Will pleaded, handing Jack the wet cloth and glass of water. He had started to guess what had happened, and he was furious.

Jack hadn't heard that tone in Will's voice in a long time. He had done stupid things, and Will had been concerned about him, but it wasn't often that his friend's voice showed how much Will cared about him. He wiped his face off with the cloth and took a few sips of water before he turned to look at his friend. "It hurt, Will."

Will nodded. "I know." He gently lifted Jack's face to get a better look and he winced. The pain in Jack's eyes confirmed what he had thought. Will looked at his friend's face and noted the bruises and scrapes. He looked at his clothes, noting the rumpled and torn look to them. Jack had been harassed, no question about it. He gently hugged Jack before releasing him. "Were you drinking?"

Jack nodded. "I was at a club."

Will sighed. _No wonder they had attacked him_, he thought, _they must have seen him slightly drunk and decided it would be easy_. He wanted Jack to tell him what had happened, but he wasn't making it easy. "Jack, do you want to talk about what happened?"

"Can't you guess?" he asked, sadly. He didn't want to talk about it; that would only make it more real, and he just wanted to forget.

"Well, yes," Will admitted, "but I want you to tell me." He gently rubbed Jack's back.

Jack pulled away. "Will, don't" He rearranged himself on the couch so that he could face Will but look over his shoulder at something else. "I was leaving the club, I was drunk, and I still kinda am. Well, I was walking home because I was at the club six blocks away. There were these two guys," Jack's voice began to break. "Th-they came over to me and I started to walk away. I couldn't get away fast enough, and they dragged me to an alley." He couldn't continue.

"Jack, Jack, I'm sorry," Will said, quietly.

Jack nodded and hugged Will, not letting go. He buried his face into his friend's coat and sighed. He couldn't cry - not anymore. He wished he could wake up from this horrible reality, but he knew it was real. His body hurt and he wanted nothing more than to go to sleep and never wake up.

"Come on, let's get you to bed." Will stood up and started walking Jack to the door.

"No!" Jack cried. "No, I don't want to be alone, Will. Can't I stay here?"

Will nodded. "Of course, stay as long as you like. I'll go get you some clothes to sleep in. Why don't you take a shower or something? I should probably see how badly you were injured. Do you need to go to a doctor?"

Jack shook his head. "No, I'm not hurt that badly."

"Physically, anyway," Will muttered as he left the apartment. He crossed the hall and opened Jack's apartment. He had the key to both Jack's apartment and his own, on his key chain.

'Why' questions kept running through Will's head as he quickly grabbed some clothes for Jack to sleep in. This was a hate crime through and through. It wasn't fair what had happened to Jack, but life wasn't fair. Will shook his head; _this shouldn't happen, _he thought_, this isn't right. _

He left the apartment and locked the door behind him. When he entered his own apartment, he saw the bathroom door closed and heard water running. Will opened the door a crack and put the clothes down on the floor; he didn't want Jack to be anymore uncomfortable and upset than he already was.

Will didn't know what to do. He knew he had to comfort his friend, make him feel better. His lawyer side was taking over as well, though. He had to call the police and have Jack give a detailed report on the men that had attacked him. It was assault, and charges needed to be pressed. Will also knew that hate crimes based on one's sexual orientation weren't taken as seriously as they were when it was based on race, he hated that, it wasn't right.

He didn't know how seriously this would be treated if Jack took the men to court. He sighed, wondering if Jack would even report it. _Would I?_ Will asked himself.

Jack opened the door to the bathroom and came out wearing his pajamas. "Can I go to bed?"

"Of course you can," Will assured him. "The bed should already be made up since Grace is staying with me."

"Oh yeah," Jack mumbled. "Is she coming home tonight? I could always go to my place..."

Will shook his head. "No, remember? She and Karen are at Karen's cabin."

"Oh yeah. Why did Karen take her again?" Jack asked, trying to prolong going to bed. He didn't want to be alone.

Will shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe Karen decided she wants to be more human. You can ask her when she gets back."

Jack nodded. "Will..."

"Yeah?"

"What am I going to do now?" Jack asked. "I don't know who those guys were."

Will sighed and crossed over to hold his friend in his arms. "We could go to the police."

Jack shook his head. "No, I don't want to."

"Jack, you should file a report. I could help..." Jack cut Will off.

"No! I don't want to. Stop being my lawyer and just be my friend!" he snapped.

Will was taken aback by Jack's tone and just nodded. "Alright, Jack, I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking."

"I know," Jack replied, trying to tease Will.

Will smiled slightly. "Do you want to go to bed or just sit on the couch...or something?"

"I don't want to be alone..." he started.

Will nodded. "Do you want to talk?"

"Nope. Well....not really," Jack replied, trying hard to smile.

"Do you want to watch TV?" Will asked. "We could watch a movie or something."

"Well, alright. I think that 'Serendipity' is on again," Jack said.

Will sighed. "Alright. How many times have we seen that movie?"

Jack shrugged. "I dunno. A lot, I guess. We could watch something else if you like."

"No, it's alright, let's watch the movie." Will went over to the couch and turned the TV on to the right channel. "Yeah, it's on. It's just started."

Jack nodded and sat down next to Will. He pulled his knees up to his chest and covered himself with a blanket. "I like this movie."

Will looked at his friend, ignoring the movie. "Do you want anything?"

Jack jumped slightly at the sound of Will's voice. "Huh? Oh, no, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" Will pressed.

"Yes, damn it, I'm fine!" Jack shrieked. "It's not like this hasn't happened before. You don't have to pick up the pieces, Will."

"Jack, I'm sorry..."

"No, Will, I'm sorry. Look, just forget what happened, I don't want to talk about it. I know how to deal." Jack turned his attention back to the movie.

There was a long awkward pause and Will looked at Jack again. "Jack, when did this happen before? Why didn't you tell me?"

"About three years ago I guess. You weren't here, ok? I just went home and stayed there for a few days. I was fine then and I'll be fine now. Just stop bugging me, Will," Jack snapped.

"I'm sorry for caring," Will shot back sarcastically. He winced and instantly regretted saying it when he saw the pain cross Jack's eyes. "Aw, buddy, no, I'm sorry."

Jack just shrugged. "I just want to watch the movie, Will." He was crying inside. Even though this had happened before, it hadn't been nearly as bad as it had been that night. Before he had just been yelled at and taunted, that hadn't been too bad. He had gotten over that. But this, this was just too much. He wanted to cry and have his friend hold him, but he was too ashamed. It had hurt him, what those men did, it was a blow to his pride and self esteem.

Will nodded. He could see the troubled emotions cross Jack's face. He wrapped an arm around his friend and held him while they watched the movie.

When the movie was over, Will looked down at Jack and saw that he was asleep. Will smiled slightly, noticing how peaceful he looked in sleep. Smiling slightly, he changed the channel and put it on Conan O'Brien.

The phone rang and Will grabbed a pillow and propped it under Jack's head as he went to answer the phone. "Hello?"

"_Hey, sweetie!" _Grace greeted him. _"How are you?"_

"I'm alright," Will replied, not wanting to tell Grace what had happened to Jack that night.

"_Karen and I are going to stay for a few extra days." _Grace told him, not noticing the sad tone in his voice. _"It's really nice here. You remember coming here, right? Karen's cabin in Vermont?"_

Will chuckled. "Yeah, I remember. Are you guys having fun?"

"_Yeah, it's been pretty nice. I think Karen is getting a little restless, but I just gave her extra vodka and she seemed to quiet down a bit. I don't know why she is doing this for me." _Grace was having a really good time. Karen was being as normal as Karen got, and Rosario was a fabulous cook.

"Maybe she is lonely," Will suggested.

"_Maybe," _Grace replied, not sounding convinced. _"Oh! I got to go now, sweetie. Rosario is cooking a midnight snack. Bye!" _

"Bye, Gracie," Will said and put the phone down, laughing. Grace loved to eat and Rosario was being nice to make something for Grace.

"Will?" Jack had woken up and found himself alone on Will's couch. He was slightly confused.

"I'm right here," Will replied, pouring himself a glass of water.

"Will, my face hurts," Jack mumbled, rolling over. That was an understatement, his whole body hurt. Nothing was broken, he knew that much, but he couldn't assess himself as well as he could someone else.

"Oh, Jack, I forgot. Let me see where you are hurt," Will said softly. He pulled out a bottle of Advil and poured another glass of water.

"It's alright," Jack mumbled again. "My whole body hurts. I still feel kinda woozy from the alcohol."

Will came and sat down next to Jack. "Let me see."

Jack took his pajama shirt off and showed Will his bruises and cuts.

Will winced in sympathy. "Oh, Jack, I am sorry. I don't know what to do for you, I'm sorry. Here, you could take some Advil."

Jack smiled and took the Advil. "It's alright, Will, I'm the nurse and you're the lawyer. If you have any aloe, it might help."

Will nodded and went into the bathroom. He rummaged around before he found a bottle of aloe used for sun burns. He shrugged, if Jack thought it might help, he would let him use it. "Here you go, Jack." He handed him the bottle of green glop.

Jack took it and rubbed it on himself. "Will, could you help me?"

Will nodded and helped Jack. "Are you tired or hungry? Do you want anything to eat?"

Jack just smiled and shook his head. "You can be nice when you want to be."

Will rolled his eyes. "I'm always nice to you."

"Liar!" Jack teased. As horrible as he was feeling, he wanted to play with his friend. He didn't want a fully serious moment, because then he would really have to examine what had happened.

Will smiled and patted Jack on the head. "Why don't you got to bed and try to get some rest?" he suggested.

Jack nodded. "Alright. Oh, Will, could you check on Claus and Guapo for me?"

Will sighed but nodded. "Alright, I'll be back in a minute." He left the apartment.

Jack put his shirt back on and headed to Grace's bedroom. He knew that was where he was to sleep, but he felt slightly uncomfortable. He didn't want to sleep in there. He grabbed a pillow and went back into the living room, deciding that he would sleep on the couch. When he lay down on the couch with the only blanket he could find, he shivered. He felt lonely and vulnerable. Sighing, he pushed himself up and went into Will's bedroom.

He curled up in Will's bed and fell asleep quickly. He felt safer in Will's room. Maybe it was because his friend was taking care of him, he didn't know.

-----

Will walked back into his apartment and went into Grace's room to talk to Jack, but he wasn't there. Confused, Will walked into his own bedroom, to see if Jack was in there. When he saw Jack asleep in his bed, Will smiled. He guessed that Jack hadn't felt comfortable in Grace's room and had sought refuge in his.

Will went into the living room and finished watching Conan O'Brien. When it was over, he grabbed a chair and took it into his bedroom to watch over Jack. If he woke up in the middle of the night, Will wanted to be there for him. He loved his friend very much, and was concerned about his wellbeing.

He placed the chair next to his bed, and looked out the window at the streets of New York. There were people still walking around outside and Will sighed. If this hadn't happened, he could be out there and Jack would be having a good time at the club, still. But that hadn't happened, and he had to get over it and help his friend. It was going to be a tough time for Jack, and Will hoped that they could deal with it together.


	2. Disapointment

Disclaimer: I do not own anything Will and Grace related.

**Chapter 2**

_Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away  
Now it looks as though they're here to stay  
Oh, I believe in yesterday.  
  
Suddenly, I'm not half the man I used to be,  
There's a shadow hanging over me.  
Oh, yesterday came suddenly._

_The Beatles_

Jack woke the next morning feeling very disoriented. It took him a few minutes to remember where he was. He saw Will sitting in a chair, his chin on his chest and his arms folded. Jack smiled; it made him feel good to see that his friend had sat with him all night.

Jack got out of Will's bed, feeling slightly sheepish for sleeping in it the night before. He left the bedroom and went into the kitchen to get something to eat. His body was still sore, so he took an Advil out of Will's cupboard. He poured himself a glass of water and took the Advil. He hoped it would kick in soon, because he was feeling miserable with all of the pain his body was in at the moment.

-----

The alarm clock in Will's bedroom went off and Will was jerked awake. It was seven in the morning and he had to be at work in two hours. He got up from the chair he had slept in feeling very stiff. He decided that if Jack was spending the night again that night, he would sleep in Grace's room or on the floor in Will's room.

Will went to his closet and took out some clothes to wear for that day. He had to go to work, as concerned as he was for Jack; he had to get into the office for a few hours. Will turned around to tell Jack that he was going to take a shower, only to see that Jack wasn't in the bed anymore. Will frowned; wondering where his friend had gotten off to.

He left his bedroom and headed for his bathroom feeling incredibly tired. He hoped that a shower would wake him up. His paused on the bathroom door because he heard sounds behind him in the kitchen. "Oh, morning, Jack. I thought you had gone home."

Jack looked up at Will and shook his head. "I don't want to go back there yet. Can I stay here again tonight?"

"Of course," Will confirmed. "Jack, I'm sorry, but I really have to go to work today. You should try to go to work too, it might help you."

Jack shook his head. "Today is my day off, so is tomorrow. Don't you remember? It's alright, Will, you can go to work. I don't need you to be here with me."

Will winced at Jack's tone. "Buddy, I'm sorry."

"No, Will, listen to me. I'm upset, yes, I'm hurting, yes, but I also understand that you have to work. I don't need you to be here to watch over me. I am an adult too!" Jack snapped. He didn't want will to treat him like a baby; he just wanted a little bit of support.

"Jack, I didn't mean anything like that. I am just telling you I am sorry I have to leave you alone today. Hey, why don't we go out to lunch later?" Will suggested. He glanced at the clock; it was only seven-fifteen, he had plenty of time to get ready.

"Uh, alright," Jack said tentatively.

Will nodded and went into the bathroom to take his shower.

Jack sighed and went through the cabinets to find something to eat. He found chocolate chip cookies and grabbed those. He didn't care what time it was, he wanted cookies.

He took the cookies over to the couch and turned the TV on. There wasn't much on, but he found a movie on _Lifetime_ and decided to watch that. He was surprised that any movies were on so early, but he didn't care, he just needed a little escape.

Will came out of the bathroom about forty-five minutes later, buttoning up his work clothes. He needed to leave in about twenty minutes.

He went into the kitchen and grabbed a bowl, poured cereal into it, poured milk, and got a spoon before going to the table to eat his breakfast. He sat at the kitchen table and faced Jack who was engrossed in his movie on the couch.

When Will finished his breakfast, he washed the dishes and put them away. It was time for him to leave for work. "Jack, I have to go. I'll see you for lunch?"

Jack looked up at Will sadly. He didn't want to admit it, but he didn't want Will to go. He didn't want to be alone. "Yeah, I'll see you for lunch."

Will nodded, feeling awkward just leaving Jack.

Jack, sensing Will didn't feel right, got up from the couch and hugged his friend. "Do you think that we could just go to Central Park on your lunch break and get hot dogs or sandwiches or something? I don't want to go to a restaurant."

Will shrugged. "Sure, that's fine. The park is close to my office anyway." He kissed Jack's cheek. "You'll be alright, right?"

Jack wanted to shake his head and scream that he wasn't alright and that he wouldn't be alright, instead, he simply nodded. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Go to work and quit worrying about me!"

Will smiled slightly and left the apartment. He had to work with a client for most of the morning, and he wasn't looking forward to it. It wasn't that his client was a bad person or anything; it was just that he didn't want to be in a meeting until it was time for lunch.

Will got into the elevator and pressed the ground floor.

-----

Jack was bored at the apartment. He had watched another _Lifetime_ movie after Will had left. He was trying his best to keep the memories of the previous night out of his head, but he doubted the pain would ever actually go away.

He got off of the couch and grabbed the key to his apartment. He felt bad for leaving Claus and Guapo in there alone. He also decided it would be a good idea to take Claus for a walk.

When he entered his apartment, he flicked the light switch and whistled for Claus. Claus came running to Jack and was very excited to see his human friend. Jack grabbed Claus' leash and went to get Guapo. He grabbed Guapo's cage, which Guapo was inside of, and then he walked back over to Will's apartment. He went back to his apartment for Claus and to lock the door.

When he got back to Will's apartment, he looked at the clock. He had fifteen minutes until it was time to meet Will for lunch in the park. Remembering that they hadn't set a definite place to meet, Jack decided it would be best to just meet Will at his office.

Jack went into the bathroom to take a quick shower and apply makeup to his face. He wanted to hide the bruises on his face. He wasn't sure why he was being so clingy to Will, but he wished he wasn't depending so much on his friend. It wasn't fair to Will.

"Will loves me," Jack assured himself. "He's my best friend and he cares about me. He doesn't mind."

Jack finished his shower and changed into some of Will's clothes. He went into Grace's bathroom and looked around for cover-up. Once he finally found some, he put it on and covered the bruises on his face.

He walked out of the bathroom and looked at the clock; he had about two minutes to get to the park and meet Will. Muttering angrily to himself, he attached Claus' leash and left the apartment, making sure to lock the door behind him.

-----

"I'd better be going, Will," Mr. Johnson said. He was a middle aged balding man, and one of the less important clients at the firm.3

Will nodded to his client. "Alright, well, I will draw up the papers and they will be ready next week."

"Sounds great; thanks, Will." Mr. Johnson stood from his chair and shook Will's hand. "See you next week. I'll call to make an appointment."

Will shook his hand. "See you then." He stood from his desk as Mr. Johnson left and glanced up at the clock. He was late to meet Jack for lunch and he felt bad. He was supposed to meet him at the park over twenty minutes ago. "Damnit!"

Will checked to make sure he had his wallet and keys to his office before leaving quickly.

"Will, do you have a minute?" Judie, an intern, asked.

"Oh, Judie, I'm sorry, but I really don't. Maybe after lunch? I'm sorry," he apologized.

She shrugged. "It's fine, but I need help with some briefs I am supposed to be drawing up."

"You do know that it is lunch? You can rest and then we'll work later." Will kept glancing at the clock; he was very late, now.

"Oh? Thanks, sorry, I lost track of time." She went to her little room that wasn't even big enough to be called an office; it was more like a closet.

Will left the building and hurried down the street to get to the park. He had no idea how he was supposed to find Jack. Central Park was huge and he hadn't set a specific place to meet. _'This sucks!' _he thought.

He decided that the best thing to do would just be to head back home. Jack was bound to turn up there eventually.

-----

Jack had gotten to Will's building as fast as he could, but Will was no where to be seen. Deciding he didn't want to be on the streets alone, he turned around and headed back to the apartment.

He was a little annoyed with Will for not waiting for him when he was the one who said to go to Central Park. _'Of course,' _he thought,_ 'I didn't set a place to meet either.' _

Jack walked Claus through the park for a few minutes so that he could get to the apartment slower. He didn't want to return to an empty apartment and wait for Will to come home in the early evening.

Once he decided that he couldn't put off heading to the apartment any longer, he headed back to the building and went up the elevator to Will's apartment. He opened the door and walked inside feeling let down. He unclipped Claus' leash and leaned against the door.

-----

Will had been scrawling a note on a piece of paper for Jack when the door opened. Since he hadn't been able to find his friend, he had gone to a German deli and bought him some lunch. He had hoped Jack would be at the apartment, but he hadn't been and now it was time to get back to work.

Will nearly jumped out of his skin when the door opened and Claus von Puppy came running over to him. He looked up and smiled at Jack when he saw him. "I'm sorry I didn't meet you. I got out of a meeting with a client and..."

Jack cut him off. "Excuses, Will."

"Jack, I'm sorry. I went to the park and I didn't know where to look for you so I came back to the apartment. I didn't mean to leave you there." Will felt bad, he could see Jack wasn't exactly thrilled with him.

Jack just shrugged. "Of course, I understand. You have better things to do than be around me and my sadness." He sat on the couch, angry.

Will just stared at Jack. "You are delirious! Is that really how you think I feel? Jack, I came home to check on you and see if you are alright. I came back and brought food. I even left a note telling you I came back!"

"I know, Will, I'm sorry. I'm just a little upset right now, don't take things personally." He hugged Will. "Oh, and go back to the gym."

"Should I take that one personally?" Will asked, rolling his eyes.

Jack just smiled weakly and went over to the table to see what Will brought him for lunch.

Will went over to his friend and rubbed his back, knowing he had hurt Jack's feelings. Will frowned when Jack tensed up and winced as Will touched him. "What's wrong?"

"That hurts, Will!" Jack snapped. "Those...those guys slammed me into a wall last..." He started to cry. The emotions he was feeling inside had built up so much that he had to have a good cry to release them.

"Aw, Jack, I am sorry," Will whispered. He wrapped his arms around Jack and held him while he cried.

Jack nestled into Will's chest and just let himself cry. After twenty minutes of this, Jack looked up and dried his eyes. "Don't you have to go to work?"

Will looked up at the clock and cursed. "I do. Jack?"

Jack just waved to him. "Yeah, go."

"I'm so sorry." Will kissed his cheek to give Jack comfort, and left.

Jack just sighed and went back over to the couch and watched TV. There wasn't anything on for him to watch, so he turned the TV off and grabbed Will's phone.

He wanted to call Karen. He missed her and he just wanted to talk to her. He punched in her cell number. "Damnit!" he cried. Karen's phone didn't work at her cabin. He started to cry again, he hated being alone.

-----

Will was working with Judie, the intern, on the briefs she was supposed to draw up. Will thought she would make a competent lawyer, but she wouldn't be great. She had made a mess of some of the paperwork and it was going to take her hours to fix it; and he couldn't stay to help her.

After working with her for two hours, he excused himself and went to his office. He couldn't stay at work anymore, he was worried about Jack. As much as he joked about Jack, he loved his friend and hated seeing him in pain.

He grabbed his coat, his keys, and left his office. He needed to get Jack out and do something with him. Will didn't know what to do. Turning the men in was something that he really wanted Jack to do. Will knew he couldn't do it for Jack, and he also knew it was a decision Jack had to make on his own. If Will forced him, Jack would be angry and that wouldn't be good.

Sighing, Will continued walking back towards his apartment. He didn't take the long way through Central Park like he normally did; instead, he walked directly there so that he could be with his friend.

Will opened the door to the apartment to find Jack crying on the couch. Will felt like an ass for leaving his friend alone. He mentally kicked himself when he remembered what Jack said about being alone the night before.

He went over to his friend and put an arm around his shoulder. "Jack? I am sorry."

"Why did you leave me?" Jack asked brokenly. "I didn't want to be alone."

Will sighed. He had had to get back to work; he had promised Judie he would help her. "It wasn't because I care about work more than my friends." Will knew that was probably a thought running through Jack's troubled mind. _Why did this have to happen!?_ Will demanded from himself. _At least it wasn't rape. _

"Sure," Jack muttered. "You know I am hurting!"

"I know, Jack. It also isn't just physical pain. Maybe you should go to the police." Will picked up some stuff Jack had thrown on the floor earlier when he hadn't been comfortable on the couch.

"No! I am not doing that. I don't even remember what they looked like, Will. Leave me alone about that!" Jack got up from the couch and went over to the kitchen counter. He grabbed his keys and stormed out of Will's apartment and into his own.

Will felt terrible, he knew he shouldn't have pushed it! He left his apartment and went over to Jacks. He paused outside the door as he heard Jack's answering machine being played.

_Hey, Jack, it's Ivan. I was wondering why you didn't meet me for lunch today. Anyway, call me! _The machine beeped and another message played. _Jack, it's Joseph! Where are you? Are we still on for dinner tonight? Call me back A.S.A.P!!! _It beeped as well.

Will opened the door a little and looked in on Jack; who was sitting on his counter top with his face in his hands. Will's stomach clenched as he looked at his best friend. "Jack, I'm sorry." He felt he was apologizing a lot lately.

Jack didn't move when Will spoke, he was just trying to put everything behind him.


	3. Friendship

**Reviewer Responses: **

**SnkNJak: Aw, I am happy you like my story. I hope you continue enjoying it. Yeah, I thought it would be better for Karen and Grace to be away, they will appear later, but not quite yet. You really think my characterization is perfect? Wow, thank you! Please read and review again!**

**Fiddlesticks: Glad you think it's interesting. I hope you review again!**

**Slick Pen: I am so happy you love it! You are one of the best Will and Grace writers on this site and I am thrilled that you enjoy my fic! Hope you like this chapter!**

**The Blue Light: Don't you worry, I will continue updating!!! Yeah, a little Jack/Will is always nice, but I doubt I will be putting any in this fic; maybe the next one. - I really hope you continue to enjoy this fic! Thanks for reading!**

**Disclaimer: See previous chapters. **

**Chapter 3**

Jack ignored Will as he came over and gently rubbed his back. He didn't want to acknowledge his friend, because it would mean remembering what had happened the night before. It had been on his mind every second of the day, and he just wanted it to leave him alone.

He turned around to look at Will and smiled sadly. His friend was being good to him and he should appreciate it. "You don't have to be sorry, Will; I understand." He didn't, really. He couldn't understand how his best friend could just leave him when he was at an all time low, he didn't understand why Will had gone to work and had only returned because he felt guilty. It wasn't right! He wanted Will to come back because he was worried, not guilty!

Will winced when he heard the accusation in Jack's voice, even though it was clear he was trying to hide it. "Jack, I came back because I was worried about you. I felt bad about leaving you like that and I know I messed up. I'm sorry. I really want to help you feel better. It was wrong of me to leave you. Can I get you anything?"

"I don't want anything, I just wanted you to stay with me," Jack replied, depressed.

Will groaned. "Jack, I didn't mean to make you feel bad. Come on, let me take you out. I'll take the day off tomorrow and you and I can spend all day together."

"I wanted you to be here earlier, I am going out with Jerry tonight," Jack snapped.

"I thought his name was Joseph?" Will raised an eyebrow at Jack. He cringed when he realized that he had just admitted to eavesdropping.

"Yeah, him, whatever!" Jack jumped off the counter and grabbed his phone to call Joseph.

"Jack!" Will whined. "I care about you, I'm sorry!"

Jack ignored him. "Yeah, hi Joseph, it's Jack. Yeah, we're still on for tonight. Alright, I'll see you later." He hung the phone up and went into his bedroom.

Will sighed sadly, knowing he had messed up and feeling terrible. He didn't know what he could do for Jack. He didn't want Jack to go out on a date that night - he wasn't sure it would be good for him. If Jack got hurt or if anything happened to him, Will wouldn't forgive himself. Sighing, he walked out of Jack's apartment with his head hung in sadness.

Jack poked his head out of his bedroom door and watched Will leave. "Good, he doesn't care about me anyway," Jack said, trying to convince himself. "It'll be better to get out with Joseph; he _actually _cares about my wellbeing."

-----

It was after midnight, and Will was sitting alone on his couch eating ice cream. He was incredibly worried about Jack, but he didn't know what to do. He had wanted to follow them to make sure Jack would be safe. He hadn't, because he didn't want to be accused of stalking his best friend.

He was watching sitcoms on TV, but couldn't find anything that really captivated his interest. He was so worried about Jack and of something happening to him, that he didn't look up when the lock clicked and the door to his apartment opened. When he heard whimpering above him, he jumped because he hadn't even noticed that Jack had entered his apartment.

"Will, I couldn't do it," Jack muttered. He sat down on the couch next to Will and pulled the couch blanket around him. "We went out for dinner, but I didn't want to do anything after."

"What time did you leave at?" Will asked. It was after midnight and it seemed pretty late to Will. How long had dinner taken them?

"Well, Joseph was supposed to pick me up at ten, but he was late and then we had to try to get his car to start. Eventually it did, and we got to go to boy bar, but I didn't want to stay and I called a cab to come home. I couldn't do it, I was so upset and fidgety that Joseph told me to stop bugging him. How insensitive is that?!" Jack felt ready to cry again. Nothing bad had happened that night, but he was depressed.

Will wrapped an arm around his friend and hugged him. "I'm sorry, Jack. How are you feeling?"

"Sad," Jack replied. "This is worse than when I didn't know who my dad was."

"Let's not think about that," Will cut in. He didn't want Jack to open old wounds.

"I'm tired, I just want to go to sleep," Jack told him. "Can I stay here again?"

Will nodded and yawned. He was incredibly tired. Sleeping on a chair the night before had not given him the best rest. The only reason he hadn't gone to bed, was because he had wanted to wait for Jack to get home. He wanted his bed, but he would give it to Jack if he really wanted it. "Of course, you can stay here as long as you like."

"Thanks, Will." He got up from the couch and walked towards Will's bedroom. "I'm sorry for what I said earlier."

"I know," Will replied and got up from the couch too. If Jack was going to steal his bedroom, he at least wanted some clothes to sleep in on the couch. He followed Jack into his bedroom.

Jack smiled at Will. "I'm not going to take your bed again tonight. Sorry about doing that last night. I was just coming in here to borrow something to sleep in tonight." He went through Will's drawers until he found a big shirt and bottoms that he could sleep in. "These'll work!"

"You can sleep in here if you like, Jack," Will told him, he didn't want Jack to feel lonely.

"It doesn't really matter where I sleep, Will. I will still be by myself in a room. I just want someone else in the apartment to be with anyway," Jack said, not realizing how this sounded.

Will felt slightly hurt by Jack's words. He felt as though Jack would have just taken anyone so that he didn't have to be alone. Will knew that wasn't what he had meant, but that was how it sounded. "Well, alright. Do you want to stay in Grace's room?"

"No, I don't feel comfortable in there." Jack shuddered. "Too girly feeling."

Will just looked at Jack oddly.

Jack ignored the look and went into Will's closet to change his clothes before just dropping them on the floor. "I guess I'll sleep on the couch." He was hesitant to leave the room. Despite his words, he wanted to be with Will. He wanted the comfort.

Will noticed Jack's hesitancy. "Why don't you stay in here? I'll sleep on the floor and you could have my bed."

"Alright!" Jack hopped into Will's bed and snuggled under the covers.

Will rolled his eyes and grabbed some night clothes. He would have to set up a bed on the floor so that he didn't leave Jack alone at night. He shook his head ruefully, the things he did for his friends.

He went into the bathroom, changed his clothes, brushed his teeth, and went to the hall closet to get bedding for the floor. When he came back into his bedroom, he saw that Jack was curled up in a little ball in the bed. Will smiled, hoping Jack would feel better soon. He turned out the light.

Will made a little bed on the floor and lay down. It was quite comfortable for the floor. He hated camping and sleeping on the ground, but this wasn't too bad.

After a few moments, Jack started to move around, he hadn't been asleep. "Will?" he ventured.

"I'm right here, Jack." Will patted the bed and felt Jack grasp his hand.

"Will, you know, even though I make fun of you and well, you know. I really value your friendship, thank you," Jack said seriously.

Will expected Jack to laugh and make a joke, but when that didn't happen, he smiled. "You're a good friend too, Jack. I'm always here for you."

Jack smiled and fell asleep holding Will's hand for comfort.

Will squeezed Jack's hand and fell asleep. His hand fell to the floor when he finally fell asleep.

-----

The next morning, Will woke up feeling disoriented until he realized he was asleep on his floor, and then he smiled. He sat up and looked to see if Jack was still sleeping on his bed. He smiled when he saw that he still was and reached out to squeeze Jack's hand. "I hope you'll feel better soon, Jack," he whispered.

Jack stirred a little and rolled over. He was still asleep, but Will's words had registered in his mind.

The phone rang and Will went to grab it. "Hello?"

"_Hey, Will!" _Vince greeted._ "Are you busy today?" _

"Oh, hi, Vince!" Will replied happily. "Today really isn't a good day. What about tomorrow?" He knew Jack had to work the next day, so maybe he could go out with Vince for a few hours while Jack was at work.

"_Is something wrong? Do you have to work? We could always just meet for lunch," _Vince suggested.

"No, I'm not working today, but I just can't do anything. You see, Jack isn't doing well and I promised to keep him company," Will said apologetically.

"_Is he sick?" _Vince asked.

"No, he's not sick; he's just a little depressed. Don't worry about it, Vince, we'll do something tomorrow." Will looked at Jack who was still asleep on his bed.

"_Sounds good, Will. I'll call you tomorrow," _Vince told him, and hung up the phone.

Will sighed and went into the kitchen to fix himself breakfast. He knew Vince was annoyed with him because he always put his friends first, but that was how he operated. He wasn't going to throw away years of friendship for a guy he might not stay with forever, it wasn't worth it. He was just happy that Vince hadn't said anything; it would have become an argument.

"You can go out with him if you like," Jack said. He had gotten out of bed and was standing behind Will.

"No, I'm not doing that. Today you and I are just going to stay here, talk, and watch movies," Will said.

Jack beamed and hugged Will. "Thanks, Will! I am so happy!"

Will chuckled. "You're a good friend, Jack. I don't want to see you upset."

"Will, I need to talk to you like you're a lawyer," Jack said seriously.

"I am a lawyer," Will replied.

"You know what I mean!" Jack snapped.

Will nodded and sobered. "What is it, Jack?"

"Would it be best if I went and reported this crime to the police?" Jack really didn't want to say anything to the police. He was sure it wouldn't help at all.

"It would be a good idea," Will replied. "But I think it might be a little late. You can still report it, of course, but I'm not sure if it would help any."

Jack sighed. "I really don't want to say anything. I know they won't catch the people."

"Jack, if you want to tell the police, you should. Even though you don't want to report this, you should." Will knew it would be best if Jack reported the crime, but it was Jack's call, not his.

"I'm not going to the police. I can't, I won't!" He sat down at the kitchen table and ate some of the food Will put in front of him.

"It's your call," Will replied.

"Yes, it is," Jack told him. "So don't meddle or try to change my mind. I am not telling the police."

Will wanted to shake Jack for being so stupid, but he didn't. He suddenly got and idea. "Jack, why don't you tell Vince? He's a cop and it would be easy for you."

Jack seemed to think about it. "Well, I guess that would be alright. But can we not do it today? I just don't want to right now. Maybe tonight I could say something to him."

Will nodded. "Alright, that's fine; as long as you tell him. I want the police to file a report."

"You meddled," Jack teased.

"I know, but it was good meddling," Will replied.

Jack snickered. "Thanks, Will."

Will just shook his head and drank the coffee he had made.


	4. Recollection

**A/N I really don't know Vince's character very well, so I doubt I will be able to do the best job on him. I'm sorry!**

**Reviewer Responses: **

**Slick Pen: I am really happy you like my fic and think I am doing a good job on the characters, that makes me feel really good. Your fic is wonderful too, please update it soon!!! I'm so happy for the compliments, thank you so much!!! Thanks for reading! **

**Sylvia: Thank you so much for the compliments!!! I am happy you are enjoying the fic. Thanks for reading!**

**Lamia Astaroth: I am so happy you enjoy my fic. I can't wait until you write your W&G fic. I really wanna read it!! HURRY!!! Thanks for reading!!! **

**SnkNJak: Heehee, yeah, it is a lot like Will to push Jack to go to the police. I agree with you about how Jack is feeling about going to the police. I mean, I am writing this thing and I don't know what I'd do. I mean, would you go to the police? I probably would, but I think it would take a lot of persuading.  
Oh...I have changed my mind about the Will and Jack romance. There will definitely be a little something going on. - I have decided that it will be a good idea, but not until later chapters. Maybe in the next one! ::grin:: **

**Oh, I love the rambling reviews, please review again!!! Thanks for reading!**

**Is this world spinning round  
Has this ship run aground  
What's that shape  
What's that sound  
That's just me falling down**

**- Tears for Fears**

** Chapter 4**

Will and Jack were watching a movie when there was a knock on Will's apartment door. Will got up to open it and saw Vince standing there. "Hey, Vince!"

Vince smiled and kissed Will. "Why did you call and ask me to bring my write ups and things for reports?"

"Oh, Jack needs to talk to you. He had a...incident the other day and he wants to talk to a cop," Will informed him. Will beckoned to Jack.

Jack shrunk on the couch but he eventually got up to talk to Vince. "Will, would you leave?"

Will stared at Jack. "What?"

"Yeah...I know you'll say something, or meddle, or just do something, and I don't want you in the room," Jack said quietly. He knew that Will would intrude and add something, and he just wanted to tell his recap and be done with it.

Will looked at Vince for help, but Vince just shrugged. "Alright, I'll get some dinner for us all, then." He grabbed his coat and wallet before leaving the apartment.

Vince looked thoroughly confused. "What happened, Jack?" He didn't know Jack very well, and he was bewildered.

"Well..." Jack launched into his story, trying to tell it quickly and be done with it. "...and that's what happened."

Vince's eyes were wide and his mouth was open. "Wow, Jack, are you alright?" He had taken notes, and would file a report when he got back to the station.

Jack just shrugged. "I'll be alright," he said seriously.

Vince nodded. He had always thought Jack was somewhat irritating, but seeing him being serious, he could understand why he and Will were such good friends. "I need to ask you one last question."

Jack nodded. "Alright." He just wanted this over with!

"First, what exactly did the men do to you? Second, did they touch you sexually or was it purely physical abuse?" Vince asked, his pen poised.

Jack looked at Vince, stunned. He hadn't wanted this question to be asked because there had been a little sexual contact. He looked around the apartment, wishing Will was with him. "It was a little bit of both," he mumbled.

"Could you elaborate?" Vince pressed.

"I...I guess," Jack whispered. "When they caught me in the alley, they tried to take my clothes off. I was drunk, but I wasn't that drunk. One of them..." his voice broke and he shook his head. "One of them put his hands..." He shook his head. "I don't want to continue."

Vince sighed. "You need to, Jack."

Jack had tears in his eyes, and he didn't want to let them fall. "One of them got his hands down my pants. I got away, but he still...touched me, and it hurt. The rest was purely physical abuse and screaming."

Vince nodded and patted Jack's arm. "I'm really sorry this happened to you, Jack. No one deserves to be treated this way."

Jack just nodded. "Any more questions?"

Vince shook his head. "Just one comment."

Jack nodded. "Alright."

"Jack, I think you should talk to your friends about what happened and your feelings. I am sure it would help you feel better. Even if you want to tell them things that have nothing to do with what happened, it will be good for you," Vince told him. "It normally helps because bad thoughts seem to circulate in victim's heads when they have been attacked like this."

Jack nodded and got up from the table. "Excuse me; I am going to take a shower." He went into Will's bedroom and got some clothes. Then, he went into the bathroom and closed the door.

Jack undressed and looked in the mirror before quickly turning away and getting into the shower. He had bruises on his body from the men, and he didn't want to look at them. He turned the water on and let it beat down on him, wishing it would wash away all the gross feelings. Soon, he started to cry.

He cried about everything that had happened, and he wished Will was there to comfort him. Will had been such a good friend to him since everything had happened. He hadn't teased or made fun of him, it had been really nice. Jack cried harder and turned the water on a higher power so that Vince couldn't hear him in the other room.

-----

Vince was sitting on Will's couch watching TV with Klaus von Puppy when Will entered the apartment. Vince got up and helped Will carry one of his two bags. "What did you get?" he asked, wrapping his arms around Will's waist.

"I went to that Italian bakery six blocks away. I thought we could all do with some pasta." Will opened the bag and pulled out some food. "I also got some new wine."

Vince smiled. "Sounds good."

Will frowned when he noticed Jack wasn't around. "Where's Jack? Is he alright?"

"Oh, he's in the shower. He's been in there a while, but I just figured it was normal for him," Vince replied, getting three glasses and forks for them.

Will's frown deepened and he walked over to the bathroom door. "Jack, are you alright?" Getting no reply, he knocked on the door. "Jack?"

Jack heard Will calling him and turned off the water. If Will was home, he would go out. He didn't want to be alone with Vince, he was humiliated. "Yeah, I'm alright Will," he replied, in a broken voice.

Will bit his bottom lip in concern. "I really hope he feels better soon," he said to no one in particular.

Vince walked over and took Will's hand. "I'm sure he'll be fine. You're a good friend to him." He planted a kiss on Will's lips, which Will didn't return, and put some food on the plates. "You alright, Will?"

Will nodded. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. No, I'm not fine! I am worried about Jack and I am worried about Grace." He sighed and flopped onto a chair at the kitchen table.

Vince sighed and smiled at Will. "They'll both be fine, you worry too much."

'_What the hell do you know?'_ Will wanted to demand, but he kept it to himself and started eating.

"I can't stay long," Vince said. "I have to get to work in about ten minutes."

"Oh, well, that's alright," Will replied.

"You don't have to sound so happy about me leaving," Vince teased.

"Sorry, I didn't mean anything by it!" Will snapped.

"Will, you don't have to get angry, I was just teasing." Vince frowned; Will never took that tone with him.

"I know, but I'm not in the mood for teasing. I am worried about my friend right now," he replied angrily.

Vince stood up from the table. "Will, I'm sorry about what is happening to your friends right now, but you can't control it."

"I know I can't control it, Vince, but they mean a lot to me. I am worried about them right now, why can you just let me?!" Will was pissed. He didn't want to be arguing with his boyfriend, but he also didn't understand why Vince was acting this way. Friends meant a lot to Will, and he didn't want Vince to get between them.

Vince was outraged. "I'm leaving, Will. I'll file the report for Jack, and I guess I'll see you later. Don't call me." He left the apartment and slammed the door loudly and angrily.

Will didn't bother going after him, he didn't care.

-----

Jack had watched everything between Will and Vince from the bathroom. He had opened the door in the heat of the argument and felt terrible. He felt as though he had caused the argument and it made him feel awful. "Will?" he said shakily.

Will turned around to see Jack standing in the bathroom doorway with tears in his eyes. "Hey, buddy, come here." He held his arms out to hug Jack.

Jack walked into Will's arms and leaned against him while he cried. "I'm sorry that you had a fight with Vince."

Will kissed Jack's cheek and shook his head. "It's alright, it isn't your fault. Are you hungry?"

Jack nodded his head. "A little."

Will smiled and led his friend over to the table. "Try to eat something. Do you feel any better now that you've spoken to the police?"

"Well, maybe a little," he admitted. "It was kinda nice to tell someone who isn't a friend."

Will nodded and they finished eating dinner in silence.

-----

After the dishes had been washed and the food had been put away, Will turned to Jack. "Are you going to work tomorrow?"

Jack shrugged. "I think I should, but I don't know. What about you?"

Will shook his head. "No, tomorrow is Saturday; I don't work on the weekends."

"I guess I could get someone to cover, I would like to stay home." Jack sat down on the couch and Will followed him.

"Do what you think is best," Will told him. He wasn't sure if Jack should go to work, he didn't know if Jack would be able to handle it.

"I really don't want to go," Jack mumbled. He cuddled up next to Will and buried his head into his chest.

"I'll be here with you tomorrow," Will promised. He was feeling a little vulnerable. He knew the fight he had had with Vince had been a break up fight, that was just how things went.

"Will, are you alright? I know you just broke up with Vince," Jack said quietly. He loved Will so much, and he was worried about him.

"I'll be fine," Will assured him. He gently touched Jack's hair, he loved Jack. "I didn't like him as much as I thought I did."

"Really?" Jack asked, trying to keep the hope out of his voice.

"Yeah, I mean I must not have. I didn't even care about going after him, I was much more worried about you," Will told him.

"I'm sorry," Jack apologized.

"Don't be," Will said confidently. He was still feeling vulnerable, but he liked the comfort and warmth of Jack's body in his arms. _'I shouldn't be feeling this way!' _he thought_. 'Not right now! Not with everything that has happened to Jack! _Will pulled away a little from Jack, trying to keep his feelings at bay.

Jack winced when Will pulled away and got up. "Are you alright?"

Will nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. I guess I'm just a little upset right now."

Jack looked into Will's eyes and saw the sadness and concern in them. He really wanted to tell Will how he felt, but he couldn't, he knew Will would laugh at him and turn him down again. _'I need to,'_ he thought. _'It will probably help me feel better. Even if he does reject my feelings, he won't reject my friendship, he will always be my best friend.' _

"Jack, you alright?" Will asked gently.

Jack shook his head. "No, I...I'm not. I was just thinking about something Vince told me to do."

Will looked concerned. "What did he say?"

"He told me I should tell my feelings to my friends about everything, even if it isn't relevant," Jack whispered. Oh how he wanted to tell Will how he felt!

"You know you can tell me anything, Jack," Will replied, getting up from the couch and moving towards Jack.

Jack looked at the ground. "I...I really..." He looked up at Will and saw the concern in his eyes. "I really like you, a lot." He winced when he heard himself say it, it sounded so horrible. He sounded like a little kid.

Will was a little confused. "I uh...really like you a lot too, Jack. That's why we're best friends." He had a feeling he knew what Jack was trying to say, but he wanted Jack to say it.

Jack felt like an ass. He turned away and started heading towards the door. He hadn't wanted Will to make fun of him.

Will was horrified when he saw that Jack was just going to leave. _'Damn it! Jack is feeling horrible because he was beat up by those men already, why did I go and make things worse?' _Will mentally screamed at himself. "Jack, come back."

Jack paused, he didn't want to leave. He really liked Will's comfort. He turned around, tears in his eyes.

"I really like you a lot too, Jack," Will told him. He wanted Jack to say the rest.

"In a non-friendship kinda way?" When Will nodded, Jack smiled. "I love you, Will."

Will smiled and hugged Jack tightly. "I love you too." He took Jack's hand and led him to the couch. "Let's watch a movie; I rented Star Wars just for you."

Jack smiled as well and sat down on the couch next to Will after they had popped the movie in the DVD player. He cuddled up next to his boyfriend, and pulled a blanket around them.

Will put and arm around Jack and kissed him gently on the cheek. This was much more loving than the 'friendship kiss' he had given Jack earlier in the evening.

Jack smiled, knowing Will hadn't kissed him full on the mouth because he didn't want to upset him. Jack turned a little and leaned in; he pressed his lips on Will's mouth and kissed him passionately. He broke off the kiss and smiled. "Don't be afraid to kiss me, Will."

Will chuckled and kissed Jack softly.


	5. Sorry

**A/N The reason I italicized Grace and Will's convo is so that you can tell that Grace is on the phone and not in the room with Will. **

**Reviewer Responses: **

**Fiddlesticks: **::munches on the cookies:: Thanks for the cookies!! I am happy you are enjoying the fic.

**SnkNJak: **Heehee, I am sooooo happy you like the W/J romance!! I am tired of reading the J/K stuff. ::shudders:: I don't like that stuff at all. I am happy you are enjoying my fic!!! Sorry I kept you waiting sooooo long!!

**Lamia Astaroth: **I am sooooo happy you like this!!! I hope you post your fic soon, I really wanna read it! I look forward to it!

**Karens Chanel Sling Backs: **I am sooooo happy you are enjoying this!! I really like your story too, and I hope you haven't abandoned it, because I really wanna know what happens next!

I really like your idea about Vince for my fic...do you mind if I use it? I think it sounds good. ::grin:: I hope you don't mind!!! Thanks for the wonderful idea!

**Walnutwhip: **I'm so happy you like my fic so far. I really liked the one you did for W&G. I hope you make another one!! It was really, really good. Thank you for the compliments!!!

**Slick Pen: **I am really happy you like this fic. It makes me feel really good to know you like it. You have really, really good fanfiction for W&G and I love your stuff. I do hope you continue. I'm so happy you agree with me on the Vince front. I mean, he is such a new character (hopefully one that will be gone soon!) and I don't know much about his personality. Glad you enjoyed it!! PLEASE UPDATE YOUR FIC!!!

**I was just wondering how many of you think that Will and Vince should break up soon. I would love to hear feedback, please tell me what you all think!**

**Chapter 5**

_**I want so badly to believe that there is truth,  
that love is real  
and I want life in every word to the extent  
that it's absurd**_

**_- The Postal Service_**

Will and Jack had finished watching Episode V of Star Wars and Will was tired. He wanted nothing more than to go to bed at the moment. Jack was leaning on him, and Will wasn't sure if he was asleep or not. He turned to see if Jack was awake and smiled when he saw that he wasn't.

Will slowly got off the couch and laid Jack down on the couch with a pillow under his head. He spread a blanket over Jack before giving him a quick peck on the cheek. "Night, Jack."

He went into his bedroom and shut the door. Will started undressing for bed when the door to his bedroom opened.

Jack walked into the bedroom with tears in his eyes. "You left me and I thought you'd abandoned me. I was having a horrible dream."

Will looked sadly at Jack and wrapped his arms around him. "I'm sorry, you were sleeping and I didn't want to wake you up."

"You should have," Jack told him, burring his head into Will's shoulder.

"I know that now," Will replied. "Why don't you change for bed?"

Jack nodded and took some of Will's clothes. "You don't mind, right?" he asked quietly. Jack still felt bad about everything that had happened over the past few days.

"No, go ahead." Will motioned towards his drawers and climbed into his bed. He was incredibly tired.

Jack smiled and changed his clothes. He had wanted to be with Will for the longest time, and he was so happy. _'What if he is just using you as a rebound guy?' _his subconscious asked."Will..."

Will opened his eyes and rolled over to look at Jack. "What's wrong?"

"You're not just using me, right?" Jack asked slowly. "I don't want to be your rebound guy, Will Truman."

Will sighed and shook his head. "No, Jack, I'm not using you. This might be a little fast, though."

"Do you want to take time to feel better..." Jack trailed off, he didn't want Will to say 'yes' and he just couldn't ask his question.

"No, because I'll still feel the same way about you. I really like you, Jack, don't worry about that sort of thing." Will closed his eyes; he was drifting off to sleep.

Jack smiled and got into bed next to Will. "I love you," he whispered.

"Mmm, you too," Will replied.

Jack kissed Will gently on the mouth and cuddled up next to him. Neither he nor Will wanted sex; in fact, it was one of the last things on their minds.

-----

Jack woke up in the early morning and didn't know where he was. He felt a person lying next to him in the bed and smiled when he remembered it was just Will.

"Jack?" Will had woken up when he felt Jack moving around next to him.

"I'm alright," Jack said in response.

Will rolled over and gently touched Jack's face. "You sure?"

Jack nodded and snuggled up next to Will. "Yeah, I'm alright." He kissed Will on the cheek and wrapped his arms around him.

Will smiled and moved closer to Jack. "I love you."

Jack smiled back and kissed Will full on the lips. "I've wanted to hear that for the longest time."

Will touched Jack's hair before ruffling it. "Sleep well now, Jack."

"I will." He nestled close to Will and fell asleep.

-----

Will woke up to the phone ringing at eight in the morning. He jumped out of the bed and quickly went to answer the phone. "Hello?"

"Hey, sweetie!" Grace greeted.

Will smiled. "Hey, Gracie, how are you guys? When are you coming home?"

"_I'm fine, but I think Karen is a little crazy," Grace told him._

"Is that something new?" Will asked sarcastically.

_Grace laughed. "Rosario didn't pack enough alcohol for Karen, but then of course most bars don't have enough alcohol for Karen."_

"That's true," Will commented.

"_Well, we're coming home today. I think Karen wants to stop somewhere on the way home, though, so I will probably be home tomorrow morning. I think I am staying at The Palace tonight. Karen said I could." Grace squealed. "It's so nice there!"_

Will could hear screaming in the background. "Is that Karen?"

"_Yeah, she's yelling at Rosario. I better go. See you soon."_

"Bye, sweetie," Will responded and put the phone down.

He walked back into his bedroom to check on Jack. He saw that Jack hadn't moved much since Will had gotten up. Will quietly took some comfy clothes out of his closet and changed into them. While he left his bedroom, he grabbed his briefcase and laptop. He had some work to do and he decided he might as well do it while Jack slept.

-----

Jack woke up and looked at the clock on Will's bedside table. The clock said it was half past twelve. Jack leapt out of the bed and ran towards the front door mumbling, "I'm late and I am going to be in _so_ much trouble! I didn't even call the hospital!"

Jack was fumbling with the lock; his fingers were shaking so badly he couldn't open it. "Come on, open!" He had tears of frustration running down his face and he just slid down the door to sit on the floor.

Will quickly got out of his chair and went over to Jack. He reached down and pulled Jack into his arms. "Jack, Jack, Jack, I already called the hospital. They said it's fine for you to take today and tomorrow off." He led Jack over to the sofa and made him sit down. "Don't panic anymore, Jack."

Jack just sighed and leaned on Will. "Thanks."

Will smiled and kissed Jack's cheek. "You're welcome." He lifted Jack's face and dried his tears. "I don't want to see anymore of these," he whispered.

Jack leaned his head against Will's. "It's hard, Will. I'm just so depressed."

Will kissed Jack gently on the mouth and broke it off a few seconds later. "I know."

"What am I supposed to do?" Jack asked, smiling slightly at Will.

"I think you just have to move on with your life. I don't know if there is much else you can do. You could see a shrink," Will suggested. He squeezed Jack's hand and got up from the couch.

"I don't need a shrink," Jack snapped. "I'll get over it."

Will sighed and opened the door to the fridge. "Are you hungry?"

"Yeah, a little," Jack replied. "Anyway, what am I supposed to do?"

"I don't know," Will replied, taking food out of the fridge.

Jack sighed and lay down on the sofa. "Thanks for being here with me. I know I'm being a pain."

Will put some of the Italian food from the previous night into the oven to warm up. "Don't worry about it, Jack. You aren't bothering me, I care about you."

Jack nodded and went into the kitchen. "I'm scared, Will."

Will ruffled Jack's hair and poured himself a glass of wine. "I know you are, but I'll be here for you."

Jack just shrugged. "I guess." He took a soda out of the fridge. "I heard the phone ringing this morning. Who was that?"

"Grace called. She and Karen are on their way home. She'll be home tomorrow," Will replied. He couldn't keep the happiness out of his voice. "She sounds a little better. Ever since she left Leo last month, it's been so hard on her."

Jack pouted. "I guess I better go home, then." His head drooped and he started walking towards the door.

Will chuckled and pulled Jack to him. "Don't worry, Jack. You can stay here as long as you like, it's not like you'd be putting anyone out of a bed."

Jack smiled at Will and placed a hand on his chest. "Heehee!"

Will rolled his eyes and pulled the food out of the oven. He quickly dished it onto plates and put it on the kitchen table. "Here you go, Jack."

Jack sat down next to Will and ate his food.

-----

When Will finished doing the dishes for lunch, he joined Jack on the couch. "What're you watching?"

"This movie," Jack replied.

"Which is called...?" Will asked sarcastically.

"Um...It is 'If it's Tuesday this must be Belgium'. It's funny," Jack replied, taking Will's hand. Jack yawned and leaned his head on Will.

"Are you tired?" Will asked, concerned. Jack had only been awake for two hours. "Maybe you really are depressed." He knew that people who were clinically depressed were normally very tired most of the time. "Maybe you should go to a doctor."

"No," Jack replied hotly. "I am not going to a doctor. I'm fine."

Will sighed. He wasn't going to push it with Jack. He knew better than to do that. "Do you want to get some rest? You could take a nap on my bed."

Jack shook his head. "I'm happy here."

Will leaned down and kissed Jack passionately on the lips. He heard Jack moan in pleasure as his tongue entered his mouth. Will broke the embrace after a minute and just smiled at Jack.

Jack smiled back at Will and put his head on Will's lap. He drifted off to sleep while Will ran his hand through Jack's hair.

Will smiled down at Jack and continued watching the movie. He had seen it before, and wanted to watch something else. He picked up the remote and changed the channel.

Thoughts of what to say to Grace started to run through Will's mind and his stomach clenched. He didn't know what he would say to her. First he needed to explain what had happened to Jack, and then he would have to tell her that he and Jack were dating. Will cringed, that was not going to be a fun conversation.

"Will?" Jack had woken up when he felt Will cringe and fidget on the couch.

Will heard Jack's groggy voice and felt bad for waking him up. "I'm here, Jack."

Jack sat up. "Are you alright? I felt you flinch." He brushed Will's hair with his hand.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I was just thinking," Will replied absently. He was reluctant to tell Jack what he had been thinking about.

"'Bout what?" Jack asked. He leaned his head on Will's shoulder and kissed his neck.

Will sighed, he wasn't going to lie. "Grace, and everything else that has happened." His tone was malevolent and he cringed when he heard it.

Jack moved away. "Oh."

"I'm sorry, Jack," he said. "I'm not mad at you."

Jack nodded sadly. "I know. I know what you are mad at, though."

Will frowned. "What?"

"You're upset because we're together now and you're going to have to tell Grace and everything will change. You hate change, Will, we both know that. Admit it, you're scared and upset and angry." Jack's voice stayed flat while he spoke.

Will looked at the floor. "You're right," he admitted. "I don't want you to be, but you are. I'm sorry, Jack."

Jack nodded. "So am I." He got up from the couch and grabbed his keys from the kitchen counter. "I'll see you later, Will." He left the apartment.

Will felt tears come to his eyes, he had screwed up. "Damn it!" He quickly left his apartment and crossed the hall to Jack's. When he tried to open the door, he found it locked. He banged on the door. "Open up, Jack! I'm sorry about everything. You are right and I don't know what to do."

Jack didn't answer his door and Will sighed. He didn't know what to do. Jack had taken Will's copy of the key, and he couldn't get into the room. He felt tears roll down his cheeks, but he didn't wipe them away, he was too upset. "Damn it," he muttered to himself. "Damn it!" He slid down Jack's door and hit his head against the door. _'Ow! I'm going to have a bruise there!' _he thought.

-----

Jack heard Will pleading with him to open the door, but he didn't want to. He wanted to be with Will, but he didn't want Will to worry about going out with him. That was wrong, it wasn't fair to Will and it definitely wasn't fair to Jack himself.

When he heard Will hit his head against his door, Jack winced. Then, he heard Will crying; softly, but nevertheless, he was crying. Jack went and opened his door and let Will inside. "We need to talk."

Will got up and looked at Jack. "I'm sorry."

Jack nodded solemnly. "I know."

Will walked into the apartment and shut the door behind him. He moved towards Jack to pull him into a hug, but Jack turned away. "Jack?"

"Will, this isn't fair. I don't want to be with you if you're going to hide these things from Grace. I know you'll tell her, but I also know you're not going to feel good about telling her." Jack turned to face him. "Tell me the truth, Will."

Will sighed. "Jack, I really do love you. I am not going to feel embarrassed or anything when I tell Grace. Sure, it might be a little awkward, but I won't be embarrassed."

"You promise?" Jack asked, moving a little closer to Will.

Will nodded. "Yes." He reached out for Jack and pulled him close. "I love you."

Jack smiled happily and pressed his lips against Will's. He wrapped his arms around Will and let one of his hands drift down Will's back until his hand was resting on Will's ass. He tried to get his hand down Will's pants, but Will pulled away. "What's wrong?" Jack asked, hurt.

"This isn't right, Jack. We can't do anything right now. You're still vulnerable and so am I. I don't want to do anything you'll regret." Will kissed Jack lightly on the lips.

Jack sighed and leaned his forehead on Will's. "I guess you're right. I'm just so used to having sex with a guy by now."

Will rolled his eyes. "I know, but you don't have to do it that way with me."

Jack chuckled. "No wonder you haven't gotten much."

"Hey!" Will began protesting, but Jack pressed his mouth against Will's and he was silenced.

Jack broke the kiss and looked at Will devilishly. "Come on," he urged.

Will shook his head. "No, Jack. I don't want to hurt you and do something you will regret."

"Damn it, Will! I won't regret anything!" he snapped heatedly. "Is something wrong with me?" Jack asked, a little pitifully.

"No, no, nothing is wrong with you," Will whispered. "I mean...I want to, I'm just not sure if I'm ready."

Jack looked down at Will's crotch and smiled slightly. "Yeah, you certainly want to."

Will kissed Jack lightly. "Let's go out."

"I don't want to," Jack replied, dejectedly. His eyes were welling up with tears. He wanted nothing more than to be with Will at the moment.

Will sighed and pulled Jack into his arms. "We're not having sex right now."

"Will!" Jack protested.

Will laughed. "Oh come on, Jack!"

Jack pulled away and went into his bedroom with tears in his eyes.

Will sighed, knowing he shouldn't have laughed. He quickly followed Jack into the bedroom, hoping to resolve things.


	6. Lonely

**Reviewer Responses:**

**SnkNJack:** I am happy you liked the previous chapter, I hope you like this one just as much. I loved the "Ping pong match" analogy. Heehee, it made me grin. It isn't getting much easier for Will, that's true. He is still walking on egg shells. It's hard for both him and Jack. I mean, Will hasn't said anything about Vince, but he is still a little upset. ::grin:: I'm so happy you like where everything is going, I think you will be happy with the result.

**Lamia Astaroth:** I am so happy that you like my fic. I really like yours, and I hope you update tonight!! I look forward to the next chapter. I really hope that Will and Vince break up too, Vince bugs me. Grrrrrrrrrr.

**MattKensethFan:** I am happy you like my fic; I hope you continue to enjoy it. Thanks for the lovely review! I hope you update your fic soon, I really like it!

**Karens Chanel Sling Backs:** I love your idea, and I am going to put it into action in the next chapter. ::grins wickedly:: I think it will be perfect! Heehee, I am so happy you enjoyed the sex argument; I thought it would be nice to add. I hope you like this chapter. I love your fic and I hope you update soon, it is really excellent.

**Adina-Anne:** Oh yes, W/G and J/K romances just aren't my thing at all. They bother me because two of those characters are gay and the other two are straight. I mean, that kind of coupling just wouldn't happen...ICK! I'm happy you like the W/J romance. I never really thought much about that pairing until a few weeks ago and now I really like it. Yay! Heehee. I hope you like this chapter, and I hope you update your fic. It's really good and I want to know what happens.

**Rosaleen-Ben:** I am happy you like my fic! Yeah, I know, poor Jack, he is getting better though. Well, sort of. It will take awhile. Oh yes, like I said to Adina-Anne, I don't like W/G or J/K romances at all. Thanks for the review, I hope you like this chapter.

**Chapter 6**

_I think I'll go home and mull this over  
Before I cram it down my throat   
At long last it's crashed, the colossal mass  
Has broken up into bits in my moat_

_- The Shins_

Will walked into Jack's bedroom and touched Jack gently on the arm. "Maybe we should wait..." he said slowly.

"Maybe," Jack replied quietly. "It might help us both."

"Yeah," Will said uncomfortably. "Do you want me to go?"

"Yes, I think that would be best," Jack replied stiffly. He didn't want Will to go, he didn't want to try later – he just wanted things to be normal again!

"Jack..." Will didn't know what to say. He was confused. He wanted to tell Jack that he loved him and that they should go out and have a good time, not stay in feeling sorry for themselves.

Jack turned around and buried his face in Will's shirt. "I'm so confused."

Will patted Jack's back but quickly stopped when he felt Jack wincing. "I'm sorry, I forgot."

"I wish I could forget," Jack mumbled.

Will lifted Jack's face and smiled at him. "You'll get better."

Jack nodded. "I want a drink."

Will stared at Jack. He rarely ever drank; normally he had sodas or juice. Unless he was at a bar or club, Jack normally didn't drink alcohol. Will wasn't even sure if he drank often with Karen. He'd seen him drink, it was just he had rarely seen him drink out of sorrow. "Well, alright. Do you wanna go out?"

"Yeah, take me out." Jack went into his closet to get some clothes.

Will went over to him. "Why don't we just go to a movie, I don't think we should go to a club." He didn't want Jack drinking out of sorrow or regret; it wouldn't be good for him. It would probably just remind Jack of his awful experience the other night.

"Yeah, alright. Nothing depressing." Jack took some clothes out of the closet and started changing.

Will rested his hand on Jack's back when he saw the bruises that were just starting to fade. "Do they hurt?" He knew Jack wasn't the best when it came to dealing with pain.

"Yeah." Jack pulled his clean shirt on quickly, trying to hide how uncomfortable he was feeling. "Go change, Will. I'll come over when I'm done."

Will nodded, reluctant to move. "Alright..." He left the apartment and went into his own.

Jack finished changing his clothes and sighed. He didn't know what was going on anymore. He wished he could forget everything that had happened and just be perky like normal. It was hard - trying to put aside something so devastating and degrading.

He didn't know how to feel anymore. It was an awful experience, but he didn't know how to react to it anymore. It was like a rain cloud was following him around, he had gotten used to it and was just always wet.

Will was also concerning him. Jack didn't know how to deal with Will anymore. He wasn't sure what was going on. He knew that they were friends still, but he didn't know if they were boyfriends. "Maybe we're friends with benefits?" Jack shrugged. He didn't know what to call it.

Jack grabbed a jacket from his couch and went over to Will's apartment. He opened the door and smiled sadly at Will. He didn't know what to say, it was as though he were in a stranger's house.

Will walked over to Jack and pulled him to his feet. "Come on, let's go out. Something's got to be playing."

Jack nodded and dragged himself to the door. He was feeling tired and sluggish. He saw no reason in going out when he wanted to just stay in by himself. Will's company was something he wanted, but he also wanted to be alone for awhile.

Will frowned at Jack. He wanted to comfort Jack, but he didn't know how. Will lightly touched Jack's face and tipped Jack's chin up so that he was looking Will in the eyes. "I care about you, Jack, I really do. Would you rather stay here and just talk?"

Jack smiled a little. He hadn't wanted to go out and it would be nice to just talk to Will. "Well, I really don't want to go out, but I think it would be nice to go to the park."

Will raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yeah," Jack told him. "I really wanna talk, but it would also be nice to get out of the apartment."

Will kissed Jack's cheek. "Alright, come on."

-----

Grace and Karen had just arrived at the Palace Hotel and were in the elevator going up to Karen's suite. They had arrived earlier than they had thought because it was only seven in the evening.

"You know, Karen, it would have been alright for Rosario to take the elevator with us," Grace said.

"Oh, honey, Rosario doesn't mind. She's well trained; in fact, she is probably already in the suite making dinner." Karen adjusted her purse on her shoulder and looked at her nails.

"She is carrying four suitcases and a hat box," Grace replied. "I don't know how she is going to get there before us."

The doors to the elevator opened and Rosario was standing outside of them, glaring at Karen.

"Lady, I just..." Rosario and Karen started their bickering, so Grace walked out of the elevator and into Karen's rooms.

Grace gasped in awe; she had forgotten how beautiful and wonderful Karen's suites were. "Oh, Karen, thank you."

Karen walked into the room. "For what, honey?"

"Everything, it was really nice of you, Karen," Grace said seriously.

Karen nodded. "You're welcome, honey."

Grace smiled; Karen had been so un-Karen-like for the last few days, but it had been nice. Of course, Karen had had a lot less alcohol than normal; Grace decided that must have been it.

"Come on, fix me dinner!" Karen barked at her staff. "And shouldn't you clean something?!" she snapped at Rosario.

Rosario mumbled angrily to herself and walked off.

"Well, you're back to normal," Grace commented.

A servant brought a drink over to Karen.

Karen laughed manically. "Oh, honey, it feels so good." She slurped her drink and grinned.

-----

Will and Jack were walking through the park in silence. There were other people around them since it was only the early evening.

Will didn't say anything, because he wanted Jack to start, but after walking for twenty minutes, he decided it would be a better idea if he said something. "Jack, I think that maybe you and I should talk about what happened. You know, so that you can get some of the feelings out. I don't want you to fall into a depression, you already seem lonely."

Jack looked at Will, startled. Will had spoken the feelings Jack was keeping inside. He sighed. "I know, I really wanna talk but I don't know what to say." He turned away from Will and walked towards a park bench. "You'll think it's stupid and I know I'm bugging you," he muttered.

"No, Jack, I won't think it's stupid," Will replied, following Jack to the bench. "I want you to talk to me, I want you to share."

Jack looked at the sky and closed his eyes, he wanted to cry again. "Will, I want to go home," he whispered.

Will looked at Jack, his eyes full of concern. He took Jack's hand. "Alright, let's head back. We'll talk there, alright?"

Jack nodded and squeezed Will's hand tightly. "Thank you," he mumbled, so quietly he wasn't sure if Will had even heard him.

Will smiled and turned around to give Jack a quick peck on the lips. "I love you."

Jack smiled for real and walked back home with Will.

-----

When Will and Jack got back to the apartment, the phone rang and Will answered it after quickly apologizing to Jack. "Hello?"

_"Hey! I'm back," Grace greeted him. "I'm staying with Karen tonight. If you see Jack, tell him he is wanted over here, Karen misses her poodle." Grace laughed at the thought of how happy Jack would be to see Karen._

"Alright, I'll tell him in a minute," Will replied. "How are you?"

_"I think I'm doing better. Karen and I had fun, actually," Grace informed him. _

_**"What do you mean, 'actually'?" Karen shouted in the background. "I'm always fun, honey!"**_

Will laughed. "Did you guys get so drunk that you swapped clothes again? Or maybe, you ended up with another sticker from Baltimore on your forehead?" he teased.

_"Ha ha, Will," Grace replied sarcastically. _

"Listen, sweetie, I really better go. I'll tell Jack," Will said, smiling apologetically at Jack who looked incredibly upset.

_"Oh, well, alright," Grace said, dejectedly. "I'll see you tomorrow."_

"Bye, Gracie," Will replied and hung the phone up. He crossed over to Jack and put one hand on his waist before giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'm sorry."

Jack waved off the apology. "It's alright."

"Grace said that Karen said you can go to her house," Will told him.

"I don't want to," Jack replied. "I would rather stay here."

Will hid a smile. "Would you like to do something, Jack? It's too early to go to sleep." Will helped Jack sit on the couch and sat down next to him.

"I don't know, Will, I mean, I really want to talk about things," Jack replied.

Will smiled, that's what he wanted too. He didn't want to push Jack, though. "Alright, you talk, and I'll listen."

Jack nodded. "I feel sort of dirty and unwanted. It's weird, you know? I mean, I know you love me, but I'm not so sure." He looked at Will for conformation that he did in fact love him.

"Jack, of course I love you. You're my best friend and I guess we're boyfriends..." he trailed off; he didn't know how to finish the conversation.

"I want to be your boyfriend still," Jack said shyly.

"I do too," Will told him.

"Good. You love me?" Jack asked like a small child seeking approval from an angry parent.

"Yes, Jack, I really do." Will leaned over and kissed Jack.

Jack smiled and continued talking. "I also feel sad." He paused. "I don't know if that is the best word..."

Will was surprised to see this serious side of Jack, it was a side he had only seen a handful of times, and it always gave him a bit of a shock. "Try to think of a good one," Will urged.

Jack nodded. "Well, I just don't really know how to explain it. I mean, I feel a little but sad and nervous." He shrugged. "I don't know how to explain it."

"Do you feel a little lonely?" Will asked, frowning.

"I don't know, Will, I guess. Even though I am with you, I am still a little lonely feeling." Jack looked out the window and sighed.

Will hugged Jack around the shoulders. "I'm here for you, remember that."


	7. Unwanted Visitor

**Reviewer Responses:**

**Lamia Astaroth:** I am so happy you liked the chapter. I hope you update your fic soon; I really wanna know what happens. I'm so happy you are enjoying this! Thanks for reading!

**SnkNJak:** Heehee, I am so happy you think the last chapter was sweet. I'm trying! Oh Karen, ::sighs:: she is the hardest for me to write for. I hope I do well with her, because I really don't know what to do with her. I love your long reviews and I am sorry to hear you aren't doing well. :-( I hope you feel better soon! Thanks for reading!

**MattKensethFan:** I loved your fic, it was really good. I hope you have another chapter up soon!! It is really good. Yes, The Land of Unfinished Fics is the worst place for fics to go. Neglected and unloved by their writers. (Wow, I am having way too much fun with that. Heehee!) I hope you like this chapter, thanks for reading!

**Karens Chanel Sling Backs:** I am happy you like this. I hope you like this chapter as much as the one before it. I like the serious side of Jack too, but he will be getting back to normal in the next few chapters. Thanks for reading!

**Slick Pen:** I am so happy you are still enjoying my fic. I love yours as well. I can't wait until you update "Do Not Disturb" it is really good and I am sure the next chapter will be worth the wait. You're right about it being hard to keep fics interesting, I don't know much about what is going to happen in the next few chapters, but I have an outline...sort of. I hope you like this chapter, thanks for reading!

**Chapter 7**

_Why can't you just leave me alone?_

_Solitude is a faithful friend,_

_Turn the lights off – I'm not home,_

_Can't you see?_

_I don't need your help._

– _Die Toten Hosen_

Will and Jack talked for quite awhile about everything that had happened.

"I think I'm going to take a shower," Jack announced, getting up from the couch. "It's almost ten and I feel kinda dirty."

"Do you want to go out to a movie?" Will asked. "Doesn't have to be anything long."

"Sure," Jack replied. "I wanna take my shower first, though."

Will nodded and went into his bedroom. He would change while Jack was in the shower.

-----

Grace and Karen were sitting on Karen's bed drinking. Grace had an expensive scarf rapped around her neck and was petting it.

"Um, Grace," Karen began.

"Mmm?" Grace replied, leaning on Karen's shoulder.

Karen grinned wickedly. "Drink up, Grace, I have a surprise for you."

"Ok, but don't give me another one of your sleeping pills," Grace slurred.

"Damn," Karen muttered. She got up and yelled for Rosario.

"What, lady?" Rosario snapped.

"Clean this drunk up," Karen commanded, pointing to Grace.

Rosario rolled her eyes and helped Grace to her feet.

-----

Will had changed his clothes and was fixing his hair in the mirror when he heard someone at the door. "Grace, I thought you were coming home tomorrow!" Will called. He was curious as to why Grace had come home early. _'Maybe Karen remembered she doesn't have a heart and told Gracie to come home,' _Will mused.

He opened the door and was shocked when he saw Vince at the door. "Hi, Vince," he said slowly.

"Will, I just wanted to apologize for the other day. I'm sorry about everything I said, you were right about sticking with your friends. I'm sorry." Vince smiled slightly at Will.

Will smiled back awkwardly. "Yeah, well, I'm sorry too, I shouldn't have snapped at you." He paused, not knowing what to do. "Well, thanks for stopping by!" He tried to close the door but Vince put his foot in its path.

"Hey, why are you acting so weird? Can I come in?" Vince asked, looking at Will oddly.

Will paused again, he didn't know if it would be a good idea. "Well..."

"Will, I'm sorry about everything I said. Couldn't we give it another go?" Vince asked, smiling hopefully.

Will sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, come in, we need to talk about some things."

Vince nodded, confused, and followed Will into the apartment. "Are you alright, Will?"

Will shook his head. "No, I'm not. You can't just show up at my door and expect me to forgive you and get back together, I don't work that way."

"Will, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you," Vince apologized.

Will sighed. "I just don't think we should try again, Vince. We just...we aren't right for each other. I'm sorry."

Vince looked at the floor. "I'm sorry too. I'll miss you, Will."

Will smiled. "I know, we had good times."

Vince nodded. "Yeah. Bye, Will, call me if you ever want to get together."

"I will," Will replied.

Vince hugged Will and tried to give him a kiss, but he only got the corner of Will's mouth. He hung his head. "I understand. Bye, Will." He let himself out.

Will touched his mouth before sitting down on the couch and sighing. He turned around when he heard the bathroom door slam against the wall.

"What was that?!" Jack demanded, his voice getting higher as he spoke. He had been standing in the doorway when he saw Vince and Will kiss. He hadn't seen Will turn his head, nor the unhappy look on Will's face. He had only seen Vince's lips touch Will.

"Nothing, Jack," Will said unhappily.

The door opened and Vince poked his head in. "Sorry, Will, but I left my jacket here the other day. Do you mind if I get it really quick?"

Will closed his eyes, not sure how to react.

Jack crossed over and slammed the door in Vince's face before turning around to look at Will. "You bitch!" he screamed, storming into Will's bedroom and slamming the door.

Will winced and opened the door to let a very confused Vince into his apartment. "Get your jacket, but I think you should leave after that."

Vince nodded, looking startled. "Is Jack alright?"

Will shrugged. "I don't think so."

Vince walked in and went over to where he had left his jacket. "Thanks, Will. I hope Jack feels better soon, but from his reaction you'd think you two were dating."

Will smiled slightly. "I can assure you, Vince, that right now, Jack and I are not dating." He thought about how angry Jack was and cringed, this would take a lot of explaining.

"Have a good day, tell Jack I hope he feels better." Vince turned around and walked out the door.

Will sighed and sank into the couch with his head in his hands. He didn't know what to do anymore.

-----

Jack lay on the floor in Will's bedroom. He didn't know how to react to what he had just seen. He was furious with Will!

"How could he do that?" Jack whispered to himself. "How could Will do that?" He felt tears prickling behind his eyes and he just started to cry. He didn't care that he was lying on the floor: it just didn't matter to him.

Jack didn't look when the door opened and Will walked in. He didn't care anymore about Will, he just wanted to be alone and if Will wanted to be in there, he wouldn't take any notice of him.

Will went over to Jack and sat down next to him. He didn't know what to say, he didn't know if there was anything _to _say.

Jack ignored Will and rolled over on his side. He pulled a blanket off of Will's bed and covered himself in it.

Will sighed and gently touched Jack. He pulled the blanket off of Jack's head and ran his fingers through Jack's hair. "Look at me," he commanded.

Jack ignored him. He wanted Will to go away so that he could be alone.

"Jack," Will began. "I didn't do anything wrong. Come on, buddy, look at me."

Jack rolled over and put his head in Will's lap. "You did do something wrong, you kissed and hugged Vince! What is our relationship, Will?! I'm the one who dates multiple guys, or used to, but you aren't! You are secure." He shook his head. "I can't believe you."

"Jack! I didn't kiss Vince! He kissed me, I turned my head. I wanted him to leave," Will cried.

"Will, I saw you guys kiss. I can't believe you," Jack snapped.

"I didn't..." Will began but Jack cut him off.

"Shut up, Will!" He got to his feet and left.

Will quickly got to his feet and ran after Jack. He was about to walk through the door when Jack slammed it. Will jumped back and just barely missed getting hit with the door. He wrenched it open and went after Jack. He heard his phone ringing, but he ignored it and walked across the hall.

-----

Grace put the phone down when Will didn't answer. She had been calling him to see if he would come over and get her. Will didn't have a car, but he would come over and get Grace and take a cab home with her. She didn't want to be with Karen anymore. She was scaring her.

"Damn it, Will! Where are you?" Grace muttered to herself. Sighing, she let herself out of Karen's suite and went down to the road to catch a cab. She would pick her luggage up later.

She got into the cab and gave the driver the address for the apartment. She wanted to talk to Will about her vacation and see what he was up to.


	8. Forgiven

**A/N I don't have time to respond to all of you who reviewed, I am really sorry. I have so much school work and I just can't. It has taken me a long time just to finish this chapter, I'm sorry!**

**Chapter 8**

_**Love**: A feeling of strong attachment induced by that which delights or commands admiration; preeminent kindness or devotion to another; affection; tenderness._

_For in a wink the false love turns to hate._

_--Tennyson._

Will crossed the hall and pushed Jack's door open; he was surprised that Jack hadn't locked it. Will hoped that he could fix things with Jack, he didn't want his friend to hurt and he knew that it would be best to talk to him about everything. Will didn't know what to say to Jack, he didn't even know if going to talk to him would help, he just wanted to be near him.

Will walked into Jack's apartment and looked for Jack. He didn't know where he would be, but Will figured he would be in the bedroom. He walked to Jack's bedroom and saw a lump in Jack's bed. He smiled dourly and pulled the blanket back to see Jack staring up into space with tears rolling down his cheeks. Will felt tears prickling behind his own eyes because of the sad look on Jack's face. He touched Jack's face and caused Jack to look at him.

"Go away, Will," Jack muttered. "I don't want to talk to you right now, I have nothing to say."

Will shook his head and lay down next to Jack in the bed. He felt Jack flinch, but he ignored it. He needed to tell Jack what had happened, even though it seemed so trivial to him. "No, Jack, you're going to hear me out whether you would like to or not."

Jack sighed and rolled over in the bed. He buried his face into Will's chest and cried.

"Sweetie, it's alright," Will consoled him.

"No, it isn't," Jack sputtered through his tears. "You're cheating on me!"

Will closed his eyes and shook his head. "No, I'm not. Listen to me!" He gently took Jack's hand in his own. "Listen, all that happened was that Vince came over and asked for another chance. I didn't want that, I told him to go. He wanted to talk, so I let him in. Bad move, I know that now. Well, he wanted to talk and when I finally told him to go, he gave me a kiss, or tried to anyways. I moved away, but his lips still brushed my cheek. That is what you saw."

Jack was silent for a while until he just nodded his head and snuggled up next to Will. "I believe you, I did before too, I just...I dunno, I don't feel safe right now and I wanted to dump my anger on you."

"Don't worry," Will told him gently. He kissed Jack's cheek and pulled him close. "I'm here for you to talk to; do so."

Jack smiled sadly and shook his head. "No, I just want to take a nap right now. Don't go!" he said quickly because he felt Will moving.

"I wasn't going to." Will laughed. "I was trying to make you more comfortable."

Jack blushed and moved close to Will. "Stay there, it's the perfect position."

"Alright." Will ran his fingers through Jack's hair before they both drifted off into a light sleep.

-----

Grace muttered angrily to herself in the taxi. They were close to the apartment she shared with Will, and she was annoyed because he wasn't answering any of his phones. Not his cell phone, not his house phone; it was driving her insane! Karen had been driving her insane as well. Karen had been so nice to her when they were in Vermont, but she had turned back into her old, brassy self when they got back to the city. She had been bugging Grace about Leo and had been more insensitive than was normal for her.

"She probably felt she had to make up for how nice she had been in Vermont," Grace muttered to herself.

"Maybe," the cab driver answered.

"Excuse me; I was having a private conversation!" Grace snapped.

"Oh...I thought you were talking to me," the cab drive replied.

"No!" Grace looked out the window. "Oh, there's where you should let me out. That's the apartment building."

"Alright," the driver replied and pulled over.

Grace paid the cab driver and went into the building. She was looking forward to getting home and just talking to Will about everything that had happened. If Jack was around, she would suggest that he go visit with Karen and leech off of her. If that didn't work, she would start talking about her 'lady parts' so that Jack would leave.

Grace got into the elevator and pushed the button; she sighed happily when the doors closed. She was ready to get home. As fun as Vermont had been, she was ready to sleep in her own bed and hear the bustling of the city.

The elevator doors opened and Grace walked to the apartment and let herself in. She frowned when she didn't see Will. "Where is he?" she asked herself. "Will! Will, are you home?" Grace called. Getting no answer, she sighed and flopped onto the couch. She decided that she would just watch TV until Will got back.

-----

Will woke up and touched Jack's hair. It was good that Jack wasn't mad at him, he decided, he loved his boyfriend very much. He felt Jack stir and stopped playing with his hair. If Jack really needed the rest, he wasn't going to wake him up.

"No, that felt nice, don't stop," he mumbled to Will. Jack propped himself up on his elbows. "Do you have to work tomorrow?"

Will nodded. "Yeah, I do. I can't take the time off because there's a hearing tomorrow for one of my lesser clients."

Jack sighed. "Alright."

"What about you? Are you working?" Will asked.

"No, I quit," Jack replied.

"What?" Will asked, incredulous. "When did you do that?"

"Yesterday. I called and told them I quit, they didn't seem too surprised since I kept taking days off. I don't want to be there anymore. I prefer being an actor, like I've said before." Jack looked into Will's eyes. "Don't be mad."

Will grinned. "I'm not mad, I'm just surprised. How are you feeling?"

"About what?" Jack asked.

"Everything," Will replied.

"Alright, I guess. I mean, like you said, this won't heal overnight, but it will in time. I'm feeling better, though," Jack told him.

"That's good." Will pushed himself out of Jack's bed.

Jack frowned. "Where are you going? Don't leave me here."

"Let's go to my apartment," Will said.

Jack got out of his bed and gave Will a weird look. "Why? We're fine here."

"I know, but I swear I heard my name being called about twenty minutes ago. I'll be back in a minute if you want to stay here." He kissed Jack swiftly on the mouth.

"No, I'll go with you. You're going crazy if you're hearing voices." Jack rolled his eyes but followed Will out of the apartment.

Will smiled at Jack. "Just humor me."

Jack sighed and opened the door to Will's apartment. "See, nothing's here." He motioned towards Grace, whom he hadn't noticed.

Will, however, noticed Grace and smiled. "Hey, sweetie!"

Grace's head shot up and she beamed at Will and ran to him. "Thank God you're home."

Will hugged Grace. "What happened?"

"Karen's started to be weird," Grace replied.

"Started?" Will asked.

Grace chuckled and let go of Will. "Hi, Jack." She turned her attention back to Will. "Where were you?"

"We were at Jack's," Will replied. "Did you just get home?"

"No, I've been here about twenty minutes or so. I was watching my soaps." She looked back at the TV. "It's back on!" She darted over to the couch and sat down.

"I'm going to go visit with Karen," Jack told Will, sensing that Grace and Will would need some time to talk about things.

"Are you sure?" Will asked.

"Yeah, I'll be back later and we'll watch a movie. I'm going to rent one on the way back." Jack paused.

"Do you need money?" Will asked, grinning.

"It would help," Jack replied.

Will chuckled and handed Jack two twentys. "Here."

"Thanks, Will," Jack gave him a kiss on the lips before leaving.

Will turned to look at Grace who was still engrossed in her show and rolled his eyes.


	9. Love

**A/N I hope you all enjoy this chapter, I am doing my best to update faster! I hope you'll all review again. Reviewer Responses are just below.**

**Reviewer Responses:**

**Lamia Astaroth:** I am so happy you love this!! It makes me feel good to have you begging for more! :-P Update your fic soon! I look forward to it.

**Miguels-Lover:** Heehee! Thanks for your review. Grace was oblivious to the kiss, I know! ::shakes head:: she is oblivious to so much. I am so happy you like the fic, I will update faster than I have been, I promise!

**Fiddlesticks:** I am so happy you liked the end of the previous chapter. I am sorry it was short! ::munches cookies:: with all the Halloween candy and these cookies I will get fat and roll around to move. I hope you like this chapter.

**SnkNJak:** I would LOVE to tell my teachers that my readers on fanfiction are much more important, but I think they would laugh at me or give me blank looks. My math teacher probably already would like to kill me. (Math is not my best subject and I don't do much of her hw.)  
What is your script for the short film about? Have you already started filming it, or are you still working on the writing?  
I'm so happy you liked that Grace missed the kiss. It seemed like a Grace-like thing. I figured she would miss something like that if it actually happened. Yeah, the acting was something that came to me at about 3AM in the morning last Saturday and I am wondering what I am going to do with that. I do have some ideas...not sure if I'll use them, though.  
I'll update more often! (Probably once a week.)

**Sylvia.S:** Which was your other review? Well, thanks for the review and I will try to update faster, I promise!! I'm really happy you enjoy my fic!

**Buff1700:** I am so happy you think my story is great!! ::dances:: It makes me so fantastic! I will update faster. I hope to do it more often than once a week like I told SnkNJak, but I am afraid that is probably about how often it will be since I have school.

**Nicole:** I promise I will try to update faster! I hope you continue to enjoy this fic, I am enjoying writing it.

Would a little "over the sweater action" make you happy? I'll try to add some in during this chapter ::wink::

**A/N Wow...it took me a whole page for the responses!**

**Chapter 9**

Will sat down next to Grace and smiled – he had missed her so much. "Did you have a good time?" he asked.

Grace smiled. "Yes, it was wonderful. Of course...Karen _was_ sober. Though, she ran around muttering insults so, I figured she was alright."

Will snickered. "Over all, did you have a good time?"

"Yeah! I mean, how could I not?" Grace sighed as she remembered her time in Vermont. "It was really nice." She looked at Will, smiling wickedly. "How are things with you and Vince? Anything fun happen? Anything naughty?"

Will blushed, but it was not because of Vince, it was because he was embarrassed that he hadn't told her anything that had happened and he knew she would freak out as soon as he told her what had happened when she had been gone. _"She's going to freak out!"_ he thought. "Well..."

"I saw you blush! Tell me, tell me, tell me!" she cried. "I have to hear!"

"Vince and I broke up," Will began.

"Oh, sweetie, I'm sorry," Grace said. "You'll meet someone new. What did he say when he dumped you?"

"He didn't dump me!" Will protested.

"What did you do to make him leave you, then?" Grace asked.

"I didn't do anything!" Will snapped. "I broke it off because he was being insensitive about Jack."

Grace laughed. "That is the most pathetic excuse! Insensitive about Jack? Come on, Will, you can do better than that!"

"No, seriously, Grace. He wasn't respecting our friendship and what happened to Jack. He didn't understand I needed to be here for him because Karen was gone with you." Will sighed. He was wondering what would have happened if Jack hadn't been abused by the homophobic men. He grinned wryly when he decided that they wouldn't be together and he would still be with Vince.

"What happened to Jack?" Grace asked.

Will hit his forehead. "I didn't tell you? Damn, I meant to. Well, Jack got attacked by two homophobic guys and he was really upset..."

-----

Jack decided he didn't want to go to Karen's but he headed to the video rental store anyway. He saw no reason not to rent a movie when he had told Will he was going to. "Might as well," he muttered to himself. "Nothing else to do in the apartment since Will won't have sex with me." _'Maybe that's a good thing,' _he thought.

He walked down the street until he reached the place and browsed for movies. He didn't know what he was in the mood for, nor did he know what Will was in the mood for. Shrugging, he grabbed _Cabaret _with Liza Minnelli and headed to the desk to rent it. Jack liked this movie and figured Will wouldn't mind watching it again either. _'He wont care,' _Jack convinced himself. _'He just likes spending time with me.'_

Placing the DVD on the counter, he got out his card and the money Will had given him to pay for the taxi and the movie. "Thanks," he mumbled when the girl behind the counter handed him the movie.

Jack left the store and walked down the streets feeling very much alone. He wanted to get back to the apartment and take Will away from Grace. He had thought that he was getting better and would be fine out alone, but he was mistaken. It was time for him to get back to the apartment and spend time with his boyfriend and just have a good time. Will could break him out of the shell he was putting himself in, and Jack wanted to get back to him as fast as he could.

He walked down the streets faster, but paused when he decided he was being selfish. _'I shouldn't do this to Will and Grace,'_ he thought. _'Grace and Karen just got back and Will is going to want to visit with Grace. Maybe I should grab some dinner for us, or something. We didn't really eat that much earlier.'_

He headed to a pizza place and ordered two pizzas. He got a large one for Grace, and one for him to share with Will. Grace would complain if he just got one pizza and expected her to share with them. "She's such a pig," Jack muttered.

"Number 28!" the man behind the counter called.

Jack watched as a girl who looked to be about thirteen went to pay for three pizzas. He wondered why she was out so late on a school night but shrugged it off. She was probably just picking up food for her family because her parents were working or something. _'Still,'_ he thought, _'that was a little weird.'_

The girl saw him looking at her and she grinned. "My mom's pregnant with my new brother or sister, she gets weird cravings."

Jack grinned back at the girl. "Have a good night!"

"Thanks," she replied and left the place.

Jack smiled and then frowned. He wondered where all of these serious and fatherly emotions were coming from. _'I should call Elliot. I miss him, I guess.'_

"Number 29!" the man called.

Jack sat back in his chair, and watched the middle-aged man collect a pizza and dart out the door. He smiled, and contented himself with watching people in the pizza place, while he waited for his own number to be called. He thought watching people was fun, and decided it was hilarious when he saw a woman who had her small children out to eat a late dinner. The kids were throwing a fit and Jack fought to hide a grin when he heard his number called and went to collect his order.

-----

"Poor Jack!" Grace exclaimed. "He must have been devastated."

"He was," Will replied.

"That still doesn't explain why you broke up with Vince," Grace said, changing the subject back to its original one.

Will rolled his eyes. "I walked you through this already, Grace. Vince wasn't respecting that friendships I've had for over a decade are more important than relationships that I've had for a few months. Besides, I just didn't care much for him anymore."

"Oh," Grace said.

"Oh?" Will pressed. He hated when Grace made that sound, it always sounded like she disapproved of something.

"Yeah...it's a little weird," Grace said slowly. "Did anything happen between you and Jack?"

Will nodded.

"Oh, God!" Grace screamed, horrified and amused at the same time. "That is wonderfully horrifying!"

"What?" Will asked, confused.

"Nothing," Grace replied. "I'm happy for you." She kissed him. "I'm tired and I'm going to bed. I need to be at work tomorrow. You should go to bed too; tomorrow isn't your day off."

Will nodded. "Yeah...Goodnight, Gracie."

Grace walked into the bathroom to brush her teeth.

Will yawned and flopped onto the couch while he waited for Jack. It was well past eleven, and he hoped Jack would come back soon.

-----

Jack stepped out of the elevator and opened the door to Will's apartment. "Honey, I'm home!" he announced, like Rickie Ricardo.

Will smiled at Jack. "Good, I was wondering if you were even going to come back at all.

Jack set the pizza boxes down on the table and smiled at Will. "Worrying over me?" he teased.

"Yes," Will replied.

"Aw, how sweet." Jack stuck his tongue out at Will. "Where's Grace?" he asked, noticing she wasn't in the room.

"She's in the bathroom." Will jerked his finger behind him.

The bathroom door swung open and Grace ran out and grabbed a box of pizza. "Is this one mine? I don't have to share, do I?"

Jack snorted. "No, take that one. They're both the same."

Grace nodded and ran into her bedroom. "Night, you two!" The door slammed shut behind her and Grace's muffled "Oops" could be heard from the bedroom.

Will turned to look at Jack. "Are you alright? I thought you were going to spend time with Karen."

"I didn't want to. I decided I'd rather just rent a movie and get a pizza." Jack shrugged.

"Aren't you worried about how you'll have to burn the pizza off?" Will teased.

"Nope. I've got a boyfriend who's chunky, why don't I do the same," Jack retorted.

Will kissed Jack's cheek. "Thanks," he replied sarcastically.

Jack smiled. "I rented _Cabaret_. You wanna watch it?"

"Not right now, sweetie, I need to go to bed. I have to work tomorrow," Will replied, apologetic.

Jack's face fell. "Oh, yeah, I forgot."

"Don't worry, Jack, I'll be home early tomorrow. After the hearing, I don't have anything left to do at the office. I should be home in the early afternoon." Will sat down at the table and took a slice of pizza. "I'm hungry; let's just eat quickly before I head off to bed."

Jack nodded and sat down next to Will at the table. "Are you sleeping here?" Jack asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Yeah, unless you want me to go with you to your apartment. Do you want me to do that?" Will took a bite of his pizza, keeping his eyes on Jack.

"Yeah, I mean, if you want to." He blushed and then made a face. He was never shy around men, especially not Will!

Will laughed. "Alright, I'll come over."

The finished their pizza in silence and put the leftovers away. When they had finished that, Will went into his bedroom and grabbed some things before locking the apartment door and walking across the hall to Jack's apartment.

He opened the door and went into the bathroom to scrub his teeth and do other things. He took a quick shower and changed into his night clothes before opening the door and walking into Jack's bedroom.

"You smell good," Jack commented from behind.

Will jumped. "I didn't know you were there."

Jack wrapped his arms around Will and rested his head on Will's shoulder. "I love you," he whispered.

Will smiled and turned around. "I love you too." He kissed Jack's head.

Jack lifted his face up and kissed Will tenderly on the lips, breaking the kiss after a few seconds. He kissed Will again, this time more possessively and much longer. He deepened the kiss, letting his tongue enter Will's mouth and having his hand slide under Will's shirt to try and get it off.

Will kissed Jack back and moved his hand down Jack's back, feeling Jack shudder. He smiled and broke the kiss, resting his forehead on Jack's. "I really do need to rest," he said quietly.

Jack sighed. "I know." He kissed Will quickly. "Let's go to sleep."

"Tomorrow night," Will promised.

"Alright," Jack replied, trying to be disgruntled. "Tomorrow night."

Will smiled and climbed into bed with Jack right beside him.


	10. Discussions

**Reviewer Responses:**

**Miguels-lover:** Heehee! I am so happy you think this is sweet. I totally think that Jack and Will make the cutest couple! I was never a big Jack/Will fan, but I am now! They are so adorable together. Heehee, Grace's approval. I am happy you like that, but I am not sure what I am going to do about Grace yet...she didn't _completely _approve. Yes...she did go insane over Steven. ::rolls eyes:: Grace is a nutcase. I'm happy you liked the girl with the pizzas. I just thought she was a nice addition, I'm happy you felt the same way! Thanks for the review!

**Stacy-comedy:** Heehee, I know you are probably going to curse me by the end of this chapter, but I am happy you are looking forward to "Tomorrow night". Heehee, just remember I said "Tomorrow night" not 'next chapter'. I hope you like the Karen in this chapter. I added a lot of her and I don't know if I did a very good job with her...please tell me! I hope you like this chapter and I know you'll _LOVE _the next one. ::grin::

**Fiddlesticks:** You, like Stacy-comedy, are both going to want to skin me alive for this chapter. I know you'll like it, but I am pretty sure you're still going to be after me. ::sticks tongue out:: I hope you like this chapter, please review!

**Checkmates No1 Fan:** I am so happy you like this fanfic! ::squeals:: I am sooooo happy you are not a Jack/Karen fan. I don't understand why people like that paring...Well, thanks for the review. I hope you like this chapter!

**Lamia Astoroth:** Heehee, I knew you would like the previous chapter. Don't forget to get yours up ASAP!! I think all of my reviewers are going to want to get me after this chapter...but I know you'll all enjoy the next one, so look forward to it! I hope you like this chapter!

**Slick Pen:** Thank you so much for the compliments! I am really happy you liked this chapter and I am greatly anticipating yours! I know it will be wonderful and I am just so excited and OOO! I just can't wait! It makes me sad that this will be the second to last chapter for you fic, but I do hope you have another one! I love your writing because you're so talented and I just really hope you write more fics. I really hope you like this chapter, I added lots of Karen and I hope I did a good job with her. I am so happy you enjoy my fic! I completely understand trying to come up with more material and take as much time as you need to create your next brilliant chapter. Thank you so much for the review and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**MattKensethFan:** I am sooooo happy you picked up on Grace's mood. You seem to be the only one! I hope you like this chapter and how Grace is developing. ::grin:: Oh your fic was wonderful and I hope you writer another one soon! I loved how you wrote your fic because you're talented and had a great idea. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Thanks for your review!!

**Chapter 10**

_**I wanted to be with you alone  
And talk about the weather  
But traditions I can trace against the child in your face  
Won't escape my attention**_

**-Tears for Fears**

_**Horrify: **fill with apprehension or alarm; cause to be unpleasantly surprised._

Will woke up the next morning and tried to get out of bed quietly so he wouldn't wake Jack up. He looked at the clock and jumped at the time. It was a quarter past eight and Will needed to get to work quickly so that he could meet with his client before the hearing. He kissed Jack's cheek and took off the clothes he had slept in.

"Are you leaving already?" Jack asked, his eyes closed.

Will turned around, tucking his shirt into his pants. "Yeah." He grabbed his tie and started to tie it. "I'll be back as soon as I can. Why don't you go see Karen?"

"I will," Jack replied. "She isn't awake right now, though. You know Karen..."

Will made a face. "Yeah, I know Karen."

"Will! Be nice, she's my bestest friend!" Jack glared at Will.

"I know, sweetie." Will leaned down and kissed Jack gently. "I'll be back before three. Go out, have a good time with Karen. We'll do something tonight if you like."

"I wanna watch _Cabaret_," Jack reminded him. "That's why I rented it."

"Yeah, we'll watch it tonight." He looked at the clock. "I've really got to go. Bye, sweetie, I'll see you later today."

Jack pouted and pushed himself up in the bed. "Alright, fine. Bye, Will, I'll see you later."

Will frowned. "Don't be mad," Will whined.

Jack stuck his tongue out. "I'm not mad. Have fun at work."

Will kissed Jack once more and left the apartment. He needed to go to his own apartment to grab his laptop and other items. He opened the door and saw Grace eating cereal. "Morning."

"Morning, sweetie," Grace mumbled. "You going to work?"

"Yeah, I just got to grab my stuff." He went into his bedroom and came back out with his briefcase. "I'll see you later, have a good day." He kissed Grace's cheek and left the apartment quickly, hoping he would get to work on time.

-----

Jack pushed himself out of bed and changed his clothes. He decided he would go to the gym and do a quick workout session before he went to visit with Karen. Deciding it would be nice to visit with her like Will had said, he decided he would head over to Karen's house after he went to the gym.

He grabbed his gym bag and threw his gym clothes into it. Slinging the bag over his shoulder, Jack left the apartment and headed off to the gym.

-----

Grace heard the door to her office open and raised an eyebrow at Karen when she walked in. "Nice to see you among the living," she commented.

Karen rolled her eyes and sat down at her desk. "You know how you left your suitcase at my house?"

"Mm-hm," Grace mumbled, concentrating on her sketch.

"I had Rosario throw it out on a street corner last night and burn it. A lot of hobos were happy for the warmth!" Karen laughed and sorted through her nail polish.

"Yo-you what!?" Grace exclaimed. "Karen!" She looked up from her sketch, furious. "How could you do that?"

"It was infecting my closet, honey. Why would I leave that around my house? Your taste is so bad; I don't want to catch it!" Karen laughed again and smiled at Grace. "You can thank me now."

"Thank you?! Why would I thank you for throwing out half of my wardrobe?" Grace started to scribble on her sketch angrily. "Damn it! I made a hole in the Fredrickson's living room."

"Grace, I don't think you're seeing the silver lining. Now you can buy real clothing. You know, break free from those Halloween costumes you usually wear and get something genuine." Karen started to paint her nails a dark red.

Grace held her hands up and shook them. "Alright, I can't deal with this right now. I need to get a snack. I'll be back later. Answer the...Oh, forget it." She left the office and headed to the bakery on the corner.

-----

Jack had finished his workout at the gym and was on the way to see Karen at _Grace Adler Designs_. He opened the door to see Karen painting her nails. "Hi, Kare." He dumped his gym bag on the floor by Karen's desk.

Karen looked up. "Hey, Poodle."

"Where's Grace?" Jack looked around as if he was expecting Grace to jump out from behind the desk.

"I don't know, I think she went to go stuff food into that pit of hers," Karen replied.

Jack nodded wisely. "So, I missed you."

"I missed you too." Karen held her hands out as if to hug Jack as Jack did the same for Karen.

They took their hands away and Jack grabbed a chair. "What did you do in Vermont?"

"Oh, nothing. I had Rosario burn Grace's clothes last night, though." Karen giggled. "It was awesome. All of the hobos whooping for joy at the warmth her flammable outfits produced."

Jack giggled too. "Oh, Kare, you know how to have a good time."

"I know," Karen replied. "So, Poodle, what have you been up to?"

"I was attacked outside of a gay club," Jack said casually.

"Oh, honey, are you alright?" Karen asked, actually sounding concerned.

"Yeah, but Will is helping me get over it." Jack picked up Karen's nail polish. "Want me to finish?"

"Sure, honey." She held her hands out for him. "Wilma's helping you? Why didn't you come to me?"

"I called you, but your phone didn't work," Jack told her.

Karen grinned. "Yeah, I turned it off. I didn't want to get calls."

Jack looked thoughtful. "I understand."

"So, you're back to normal now, right? No more Wilma?" Karen asked.

"About that...Will and I are kinda together now," Jack said slowly.

Karen looked appalled. "You and Will? Eew!"

"Come on!" Jack protested. "Be happy for me!"

Karen grinned. "I knew this would happen eventually."

"You did?" Jack asked, surprised.

"Well, of course I did, honey! You're a gay man, Will's a gay man, hell, Grace is almost a gay man, but I knew you and Will would get together." Karen looked smug as Jack applied her nail polish.

"So...you're happy for me?" Jack asked, pleased. He wanted Karen to be happy for him; she was his best female friend.

"Yeah, sure," Karen replied. "You wanna go buy a little something? Burning half of Grace's wardrobe put me in a shopping mood."

"Sounds good to me." Jack grinned and opened the door. "Let's go."

Karen nodded and grabbed her purse.

-----

Will walked out of the law firm feeling relived. He had helped his client win his case and had wrapped things up early. It was just after one, and he figured he could pop in and see Grace at work before heading home and watching _Cabaret_ with Jack.

He opened the door and grinned at Grace. "Hey!"

Grace looked up and smiled at him. "Hey! Are you finished at work or do you have a late lunch? You wanna go to that new deli?"

"I finished up early and it'd be nice to get something to eat. You want to get something to eat now?" Will asked, glancing at the clock.

"Yeah, sure." Grace put her stuff away and grabbed her keys.

As they were leaving the office, Karen and Jack walked in giggling and talking. Both of them carried shopping bags in their hands.

"Wilma," Karen greeted sarcastically.

"Karen," Will responded dryly.

Jack made a spitting noise and the two looked at him. He motioned towards the two flamboyantly and they sighed.

"Hi, Will!" Karen said, faking cheeriness which sounded worse that her normal sarcastic greeting.

"Karen," Will said more politely.

Jack smiled at the two.

"You ready, Grace?" Will asked.

"Where you goin'?" Jack asked, smiling at Will.

"Oh, Will and I are going to go to lunch," Grace responded.

"Oh," Jack replied, put out. "Alright."

"Don't worry, Jack," Will told him. "I'll be back soon."

Jack pouted and nodded. "Okay."

"Let's go, Will," Grace urged.

Will nodded. "Don't worry, sweetie," he said to Jack. "I'll be home in about an hour." He smiled at Jack and followed Grace out of the office.

Jack nodded to Will and turned back to Karen. "I think I'm going to head home now."

"I'll get Driver to take you," Karen told him.

"Yay!" Jack bounced a little and grabbed his gym bag and the bags of things that Karen had bought him.

The two headed down to where Driver had parked and headed to Jack's apartment.


	11. Lunch

**A/N I'm changing the rating of this fic to 'R' now because of this chapter and ones that will follow. WARNING! There is gay sex in this chapter, so if you don't want to read that, skip this chapter, or just read to where the sex scene begins. Thank you.**

**Chapter 11**

Will and Grace sat down to lunch at the restaurant and picked their menus up. The waitress had already come by to fill their glasses up with water and take the decoration plates.

"What kind of place is this again?" Will asked. He hadn't been to this restaurant before and was curious about the food.

"It's Indian food," Grace replied. "I came here once with Leo." She paused, a mask of hurt coming over her face.

Will put his menu down when he saw the sad look on her face, and gently squeezed her arm. "Do you want to leave? We could just go to a deli." He didn't want Grace to be upset and he knew the divorce had taken a toll on her; even if it had been a while since it was official, Grace was still depressed when she thought of Leo too much.

"No," Grace said, "the food here is really good. Who cares if I came here once with Leo?"

"That's the spirit!" Will praised. "The Korma is enough reason to stay, isn't it?"

Grace grinned. "Yeah, that's another good reason."

Will snorted and resumed looking his menu over.

-----

Jack opened the door to Karen's limo and got out, carrying his bags. "I'll see you later, Kare."

"Okay, Poodle. I'd go with you, but I've got better things to do," she told him, smiling.

"Huh?" Jack asked, pouting. He didn't want to be alone in the apartment.

"You know I love that look, but it's not going to work on me today!" Karen made a face at him. "I've got a man waiting for me."

"Wow, Kare! You're really getting back out there. Where'd you find him? You just got back!" Jack exclaimed. He was surprised that Karen had found someone so quickly.

"Oh, honey, I didn't find him, Rosario caught him when we were having a bonfire with Grace's costumes." She laughed. "Oh, it was wonderful." She shook her head, smiling at the memory. "I hope he's still there..."

"Go on," Jack said sadly. "Go to your..." He paused, trying to find the word and motioning with his hands, nearly dropping his bags. "Oh, just go to your man thing!" He turned around and entered the apartment building, upset that Karen was leaving him, and that Grace and Will had abandoned him.

Karen turned around and yelled to her driver, a confused look on her face because of Jack, but she quickly got over it.

-----

Will and Grace had finished lunch and were walking back to the apartment building. "So, tell me more about Vermont."

"No, I'm tired of talking about Vermont. Tell me why you and Jack are together." She looked at Will and smiled at him.

Will frowned, Grace's question was innocent enough, but her tone concerned him. "Is something wrong, Grace?"

Grace shook her head. "No! Of course there isn't, don't be silly."

"Grace," Will warned, "tell me."

"It's nothing," Grace replied. Seeing the look of concern and annoyance on Will's face, she sighed. "I don't disapprove, if that's why you're all worked up." She tried to smile, but it came out as more of a grimace.

"Then what is it?" Will asked. "Are you upset because I didn't tell you when you were in Vermont?" He wanted to know what was bothering his best friend. Normally when she had bad feelings about a guy, he would trust her, but this was Jack, they both knew Jack, Will wanted to know what was wrong.

"I just think it's weird," Grace said. "You and Jack have been friends for years, and I know he's always had a thing for you, but I didn't think you had feelings for him. They never surfaced before, even when you two slept together on Karen's yacht."

Will rolled his eyes at Grace's pathetic attempt at a joke. "First of all, we didn't sleep together on the yacht, and second of all, I know that isn't all that's bothering you!"

Grace shook her head, annoyed. "Nothing else is bothering me."

"Are you sure?" Will asked, hopeful. "Don't think that because Jack and I are dating that I'll neglect you." Grace smiled and Will knew that he had finally hit on what was bothering her. "I'll be here for you."

"I know..." Grace said.

"Are you jealous?" Will teased.

"Of you being with Jack?" Grace laughed. "No! I am jealous that you've got a guy and I don't."

Will grinned. "We'll find you a guy soon. Are you ready to start dating again?"

They had reached the apartment building and Grace opened the door. "Yeah, but I think I'm going to find someone. I don't want any help."

"Okay," Will replied, amused. He followed Grace into the building and over to the elevator. He pushed the button and waited. "Shouldn't you get back to work rather than come to the apartment?"

"I don't have any clients coming. We weren't supposed to get back until next week so I didn't make any appointments," Grace answered. The doors to the elevator opened, and she walked in. "Are you doing anything tonight?"

"Jack wants to watch _Cabaret_, so I think we're going to stay in and watch that. How about you? Any plans?" He asked.

"Nope." She stepped out of the elevator when the door opened. "Can I come watch the movie with you and Jack?"

Will followed her and walked over to Jack's apartment. "I don't know...I think Jack just wanted it to be the two of us?" He looked at Grace apologetically. "Sorry, sweetie."

Grace kissed his cheek. "Don't worry about me. I'll uh...go to a movie myself." She let herself into the apartment she and Will shared and closed the door.

Will opened the door to Jacks apartment and went inside. "Jack?" he called, looking for his boyfriend. He didn't get a response and was worried. "I thought he'd be home by now," Will murmured to himself. "Jack?!" He walked through the apartment and heard the shower running. "Oh," Will muttered, smiling.

-----

Jack had gotten tired of waiting for Will, so he had decided to take a shower. He was finished, but it felt good to let the water wash over him. His bruises were still visible, but they were starting to heal and weren't as dark as they had been before.

He heard Will calling his name, but didn't feel like responding. He was a little annoyed with Will for leaving with Grace and not asking him to go to lunch with them. Turning off the water, he stepped out of the shower and reached for a towel. A towel was draped over his shoulders by someone and Jack jumped.

"Hush," Will whispered, wrapping his arms around Jack.

"You scared me," Jack said. He shook Will off and dried himself.

Will was concerned. "Sweetie? What's wrong?" He touched Jack's bare back, looking over the bruises and wincing.

"Nothing," Jack replied curtly, pulling away from Will and quickly putting clothes on. He winced at the sound of his voice; he hadn't meant to be rude. He hadn't appreciated Will gaping at his bruises, but Jack figured he shouldn't have pulled away either.

Will frowned. "Jack, what's bothering you?"

"You left me this afternoon to be with Grace," Jack accused.

"I thought you would want to spend time with Karen," Will replied. "I didn't think you'd want to be with Grace and me."

"Well, I did." Jack crossed his arms, glaring at Will.

"Okay, next time I'll invite you." Will wrapped his arms around Jack and kissed his cheek. "Do you forgive me?"

Jack nodded his head and kissed Will swiftly on the lips. "Of course." He giggled.

"Do you want to watch the movie now?" Will asked, smiling at Jack.

"No...I want to do something else," Jack said shyly.

Will smiled and kissed Jack tenderly, running his fingers through Jack's hair. He broke the kiss after a few seconds and took Jack's hand. "Is that what you want?"

Jack nodded and buried his head into Will's shoulder. "Please."

Will chuckled and opened the bathroom door. "Of course."

"Good." Jack kissed Will's cheek and led him in to the bedroom.

Will followed Jack in to the bedroom and took a quick look at the clock; it was a quarter before four. _"It's quite early to have sex,"_ Will thought to himself. Deciding that he didn't care about the time, he kissed Jack passionately and ran his hand down Jack's back.

Jack was taken by surprise by the kiss and just let himself be taken over by the passion Will was showing him. He broke the kiss off and took a breath, feeling flustered. "Wow..." He kissed Will and let his hands explore. He fumbled with Will's tie and did his best to untie it.

Will broke the kiss and smiled fondly at Jack. "Want some help?"

Jack blushed. "I don't normally have to take someone's tie off when I have sex."

"That's because most people don't wear a tie to go on a date these days. I don't know why." Will took his tie off and grinned at Jack.

"It's probably because it's quicker to take a polo shirt off than it is a tie. Gets sex started faster," Jack replied, grinning.

"I could go change," Will offered, grinning back.

"No!" Jack kissed Will passionately and took Will's belt off. He threw the belt on the floor and worked on the pants.

Will pulled Jack's shirt off and continued to kiss him. He let his tongue enter Jack's mouth and explored it. He felt Jack push against him as he deepened the kiss. Jack was fumbling with his pants, but didn't help him because he knew it would be an insult.

Jack finally took Will's pants off and quickly unbuttoned Will's shirt. He made a mental note to tell Will not to wear such complicated clothes when they were going to make love next time.

Will had finished removing all of Jack's clothing while Jack continue to unbutton his shirt. He ran his hands all over Jack's body before breaking the kiss and looking Jack over.

Jack shifted under Will's scrutiny and finally finished unbuttoning Will's shirt and taking Will's boxer briefs off. "I love you," he told Will, touching him.

Will kissed Jack softly on the lips. "I know," he said quietly, ending the kiss. "Where are your condoms?"

"Top drawer of the bedside table," Jack replied. He wrapped his arms around Will and started to kiss his boyfriend's neck. His hands drifted down Will's body and touched him everywhere. He could feel how tense Will was, and he was confused. "You alright?" he asked, planting kisses down Will's back.

Will turned around and smiled at Jack. He kissed him enthusiastically and pulled Jack close to him. Will pushed Jack onto the bed and climbed in after him. He was surprised at Jack's passion in bed, and how skilled he was. _"Well, he's had a lot of practice,"_ Will thought wryly.

Jack picked the lubricant up and tossed it to Will, smiling savagely. He nestled up next to Will, wrapping his legs around him while he kissed Will's body.

Will tore the condom open and put it on. He picked the lube up, put a generous amount on his hand, and smeared it on. He smiled at Jack and gave him a swift kiss. "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too," Jack replied, kissing Will fiercely and rolling under him on the bed.

Will positioned himself on top of Jack, lifting his legs up a ways and applying more lube to Jack's anus so that he wouldn't hurt Jack. He threw the lube onto the floor and looked at Jack, silently asking if he was alright.

Jack nodded; smiling as he did so. He was ready, and he moaned as soon as he felt Will penetrate him.

Will began with a steady rhythm, and kept it up. He smiled when he heard Jack moaning, and he kissed him.

Jack pushed against Will, and soon the two were breathing heavily and groaning their pleasure. Jack pulled Will against him and kissed Will with a fierce, possessiveness he didn't know he had in him.

Will moaned as Jack kissed him, and felt himself explode inside of Jack. Soon, he felt Jack shudder and Will collapsed on top of his boyfriend, tired and pleased. He pulled out of Jack and took the condom off, throwing it into the bin by the bed.

Jack sighed happily and rolled on top of Will. He rested on top of Will and kissed him gently. "You're amazing," he breathed in Will's ear.

"So are you," Will replied, smiling. He ran his hands through Jack's hair and kissed him again. "I love you so much, Jack."

Jack nestled against Will and smiled. "I know. I love you too."


	12. Dinner

**A/N I don't know what's up with this site, I came to check to see if I had gotten any reviews, and I couldn't find my story. I am hoping it isn't because of the previous chapter, but it might be. I'm wondering if someone reported me and if they did, I'm offended. Of course, I'm pretty sure that I would have gotten a notification. Well, to those of you who are still enjoying this fic, I hope you like this chapter. I'm updating because I want to see if my story appears again! I don't know what is wrong with it. Those of you that read often must be happy for an update so quickly!**

**Chapter 12**

Will woke up, surprised that he had even fallen asleep. There was a warm body nestled against him, and he smiled when he turned to look at Jack. He had never really dreamed of having sex with Jack, but after last night, he chastised himself for not doing it sooner.

"Whatcha thinkin'?" Jack asked. He hadn't fallen asleep, but his eyes had been closed while he had lain next to Will.

"Just thinking about how good you are in bed," Will replied. He rolled over and propped himself up on an elbow. "Why didn't we get together sooner?"

"You didn't like me," Jack reminded him. He didn't want to have this conversation with Will; not right then.

Will took the hint from Jack's tone that he didn't want to continue, so he changed the subject. "What would you like to do?" he asked.

"I don't know," Jack responded. "It's still pretty early, but I think we should just stay here. I'm not really in the mood to leave. I am hungry, though. You wore me out!"

Will chuckled. "You want to order in?" He looked at the clock and was surprised at how early it was – it was only six thirty.

"I'd like that," Jack told him. He nestled against Will and kissed his neck a few times. "You're good in bed; one of the best I've ever had."

Will laughed and pulled Jack on top of him. "I'm glad you think so." Will ran a finger down Jack's cheek before giving him a passionate kiss. He let his tongue glide into Jack's mouth, sliding it along his lips and deepening the kiss. Will broke the kiss and smiled. "You are so perfect, that's why I love you."

Jack smiled. "I know I'm perfect."

Will chuckled and ruffled Jack's hair. "You really are." Will pushed the blanket off of him and got up from the bed. "I need a shower, why don't you order something for us to eat?"

"Can't I join you?" Jack asked, smiling seductively.

Will took Jack's hand and kissed his fingers. "I would love for you to, but I'd like to be clean in the shower, not dirty."

Jack tried to pout but he couldn't suppress his giggles. "All right." He smiled and watched as Will left the bedroom.

"Jack," Will called from the bathroom.

"Yeah?" Jack replied, still in bed.

"Can I borrow some of your clothes?" Will asked, turning the water to the shower on and getting in.

"Of course," Jack called back to him. He pushed himself out of bed and went to his dresser to get something comfortable for Will to change into. Despite the fat jokes that Jack always made, Jack wore almost the same size that Will did. He pulled some clothes on before getting some for Will.

Jack finished changing and brought boxer briefs, a large shirt, and sweat pants to Will. He opened the door to the bathroom and placed them on the floor. "They're on the floor."

"Thanks, sweetie," Will replied with gratitude.

"No problem. What would you like to eat?" Jack asked.

"It doesn't matter to me. Whatever's easiest," Will said, washing his hair.

"I'm calling for delivery, right?" Jack questioned.

"Yeah," Will said, almost finished in the shower.

"Then I'll just order Chinese. It's fast and easy, but best of all, cheap!" Jack told Will.

Will snorted and turned the water off. He reached for a towel and wrapped it around his waist as he got out of the shower.

Jack kissed him and left the bathroom to order the food.

Will smiled to himself as he changed. He loved Jack so much, and enjoyed spending this kind of quality time with him. It was good to see that Jack was a person, not just the superficial gay guy that he showed everyone.

As soon as Will finished changing, he went to join Jack in the living room. "Did you order us something to eat?"

"Yep," Jack replied. He got up from where he was sitting on the couch and fiddled with Will's hair. "You need a haircut," he commented.

Will felt his hair and frowned. "Really?"

"Yeah," Jack replied. "It's all floppy."

"Alright, I'll make an appointment." Will kissed Jack's cheek and sat down on the couch. "Do you want to watch _Cabare_t now?"

"Yes!" Jack went to the counter and grabbed the DVD. "Let's watch it!" He went over to the TV and the DVD player and started the movie. "How many times have we seen this?"

"I don't know," Will replied. "All I know is that you've seen it many more times than I have!"

Jack grinned. "It's got Liza in it."

"I know," Will responded.

"I love Liza," Jack told him.

"I know." Will laughed and wrapped and arm around Jack who nestled against him.

They barely watched the movie, because they were too interested in each other and Will decided that they should just talk and spend time together rather than watch a movie that they could both recite from memory.

There was a knock at the door, and Will answered the door. "Jack, get my wallet," he called when he saw it was the delivery guy.

"Got it," Jack said, walking back to the door.

"Thanks." Will paid the delivery guy and took the food. "What did you order?"

"Chinese," Jack replied, stating the obvious.

"I know that much," Will said. He set the food down on the counter and took plates out of Jack's cupboard. "What do you want to drink?"

"Just some water," Jack said, rooting around in the boxes for the chopsticks.

Will took two bottles of water out of the fridge and set then on the table. He picked the plates up and gave one to Jack. "Are you hungry?"

"Incredibly," Jack replied. He dished some food onto his plate and began playing with his chopsticks. He giggled when he dropped it.

"Do you want a fork?" Will asked amused.

"No, I'm good with chopsticks; I just think they're funny." Jack beamed at Will and handed him a pair. He took another one for himself and started to eat. After a few minutes he put his chopsticks down and looked at Will. "Will, am I getting fat?"

Will snorted, nearly choking on his food. "Why are you asking?"

"I just feel like I gained weight," Jack replied. "No other reason."

Will frowned, wondering if Jack was insecure still about how he looked and acted since he had been attacked. "No, sweetie, you look great. You're perfect, just like I said earlier."

Jack smiled and continued to eat his dinner. "You look good too," Jack said, after a few minutes.

"Really?" Will asked, surprised at the compliment.

"Yeah," Jack confirmed. "You really do."

"When did you grow up?" Will asked. He wasn't being rude; he was just asking a simple question.

Jack sighed and thought for a minute. "A while ago, Will. I've been an adult for a long time even if I don't always act like it. I like being the crazy, superficial friend, while you're the secure, mature one."

"You alright, Jack?" Will asked, concerned. He rarely ever got to see Jack serious, and he was worried.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He smiled at Will and finished his food.

"Are you done?" Will asked, finishing his food as well.

"Uh-huh," Jack mumbled. "Are you going to work tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I should" Will replied, yawning. "I'm so tired."

"I'll clean up, why don't you go get in bed? I'll join you in a few minutes," Jack suggested.

"No, I'll help you clean up," Will insisted. He stood from the table and helped Jack clear it and put everything away. "Did you really quit the hospital?" Will asked. After seeing how serious Jack had been just a few minutes ago, he wondered if quitting had been a good idea.

"Kinda," Jack replied.

"What do you mean?" Will questioned.

"I just asked if I could have a break for awhile," Jack told him. "I didn't officially quit, but I might."

"Why did you tell me you did?" Will asked. He was confused.

"I just wanted to see if you would still support me if I didn't have a steady job," Jack responded.

"So you were just trying to bother me?" Will smiled at Jack.

"I guess you could say that," Jack said. He took Will's hand and squeezed it. "I love you."

"I love you too," Will replied. Will yawned and rubbed his eyes. "I need to go to sleep. I don't know why I'm so tired."

Jack kissed Will's cheek. "Are you stressed?"

"No," Will said, "I feel really good right now." He walked towards the bedroom. "Do you mind if I go to sleep?"

"Of course not!" Jack grinned. "I'll join you."

Will smiled and collapsed on the bed. He was so sleepy and just wanted to lie down next to Jack and fall asleep.

Jack pulled his shirt off along with his pants and boxer briefs so that he was naked. He went to his closet and pulled out a night shirt and slipped it on. "Do you want to sleep in something a little less tight?"

Will shrugged. "Sure." He got out of the bed and changed into a shirt that Jack offered him.

Jack looked at Will, slightly concerned before he slid into bed. "Is something bothering you?"

"No," Will whispered, sliding into bed next to Jack and snuggling up next to him. "Good night, sweetie." They kissed each other and fell asleep.


	13. Help and Tears

**Author's note: I feel I must apologize for how long it has taken me to get this chapter out. I am very sorry to those of you who wanted it sooner, but I was trying to get over my writers block. Thank you to all of you who reviewed. Fanfiction doesn't want to let me into my reviews right now, but thank you to all of you. I will have responses in the next chapter.**

**Chapter 13**

_Love is the only incident  
An infatuation  
Is this sweet manipulation?   
Well, I was frightened myself  
What is love? _

_  
It's a fine inclination  
A lovely retardation  
What is life but a reality vacation?  
Indulging operation  
What is love? _

_  
The worthiest damnation  
Sweet temptation  
What is love?_

**_- Ima Robot_**

When Will woke the next morning, he didn't feel well at all. He felt achy everywhere and just wanted to roll over and fall asleep again. His chest was tight, and he knew that he had some sort of infection. He looked at Jack who was cuddled up next to him. Will didn't want to wake him by moving to get medicine but he knew he had to. "Jack," he said quietly, trying not to strain his voice. His throat hurt, and he knew it was going to hurt to talk.

Jack stirred a little, but he didn't really want to wake up. "Shh, I'm sleeping."

"Jack," Will said quietly. "I don't feel well."

Jack opened his eyes and looked at Will. "What's wrong?" he asked; sleep still in his voice and eyes.

"I don't feel well," Will repeated. He didn't want to talk anymore, he just wanted to go back to sleep.

Jack sat up in bed and pressed a cool hand against Will's forehead. "You've got a fever, babe." He looked at Will, suddenly alert. "You can't go to work today, you're too sick." Getting out of bed, he went to get his phone so that Will could call the office and tell them he wouldn't be in.

Will sighed and pulled the blankets up over him. He didn't want to be sick, he hated being sick.

Jack came back into the bedroom and handed the phone to Will. "I'm going to get the thermometer." He left the bedroom and went into the bathroom. He had never had to care for Will when he was sick, and wasn't sure if Will was a good patient or a bad one. "I should have paid more attention to the signs that he was getting sick!" Jack chided himself. "He was tired really early, even if we did have amazing sex."

He grabbed the thermometer and walked back to the bedroom to see how sick Will was. "I hope he isn't too sick," Jack whispered. He sat down on the bed next to Will and stroked his boyfriend's cheek. "Did you call?"

"Yeah," Will replied. "They said it's fine." He closed his eyes. "Can I go to sleep?"

"In a minute, let me take your temperature." Jack turned the thermometer on. "Open your mouth," he commanded.

Will did as he was told and let Jack take his temperature. "I'm sorry I don't feel well," Will said, trying to apologize with the thermometer in his mouth.

"Hush," Jack said. "It's not your fault your sick, but I don't want you to talk with the thermometer in your mouth, either. You won't get a proper temperature reading."

Will smiled at Jack and kept quiet until the thing beeped. "What's it say?" he asked.

Jack looked at it and sighed. "One hundred and two point four," Jack replied. "You're really sick." He ran a hand through Will's hair and sighed. "How did you get so sick?"

"The guy whose hearing was yesterday was sick. I must have caught it from him," Will said quietly. He started to cough and then just moaned because of the pain it cause his chest.

"I'll get you some medicine. Try to relax," Jack said, going back into the bathroom for some cough syrup. He returned a minute later and gave Will a dose of medicine. "You'll be all better in a few days." He kissed Will's burning forehead.

"Are you going to stay with me?" Will asked. He didn't think Jack would leave him, but he wanted to be sure that he would have his boyfriend with him all day.

"Of course!" Jack replied. "I wouldn't leave you alone in this state. You're _way_ too sick."

Will nodded and squirmed under the covers. "Can I go back to sleep?"

"Yes, go ahead." Jack pulled the blankets up and tucked them around Will. "I'm sorry you're sick."

Will nodded and quickly fell asleep.

Jack sighed and left the bedroom. He needed to talk to Grace because she was one of the only people that had taken care of Will when he'd been sick. Crossing the hall, he opened the door and let himself in to Grace and Will's apartment. "Hey, G," he greeted.

Grace looked up from the couch where she was eating chips. "Hey, Jack. What's up?"

Jack flopped down next to Grace on the couch. "Will's sick."

"Is he alright? What's wrong with him?" Grace asked, concerned. She continued to munch on her chips, looking at Jack intently.

"He's got a high fever and doesn't feel well. I know what to do, I am a nurse after all, but I wanted to know what he's like as a patient." Jack looked at Grace and smiled grimly. "Could you tell me?"

"Sure," Grace replied. "He's a baby."

Jack snickered. "Really?"

Grace nodded. "Yes, he is a baby when he's sick. Just force him to drink and eat, otherwise he won't do so and I'll end up eating what he won't finish."

"Eew," Jack replied. "You want to eat what he doesn't finish?"

Grace looked uncomfortable. "No…"

Jack made a disgusted face and got up from the couch. "Well, I'll come by if I need anything. Thanks for the help."

"You're welcome, Jack," Grace said. She paused for a minute before asking, "Jack, how are you feeling?"

Jack waved his hand to dismiss her, showing he didn't want to talk about it, and left the apartment.

Grace sighed and settled back on the couch. She wanted to help Will and Jack, but she needed to be at work in an hour so that she could catch up on some work. She wasn't normally one to work when she didn't have to, but there were some things she needed to do and hopefully she would be able to leave early.

She did know that Jack and Will should be given time to bond, it was why she hadn't offered to help Jack take care of Will. Sighing, she got up from the couch and put the chips away. If she was lucky, she would be able to catch a quick breakfast at McDonald's before heading to work.

-----

Will slept well after Jack gave him the medicine; it was when he woke up three hours later that he felt like something had run him over and reversed. He saw Jack leaning over him and started.

Jack stared at him, confused. "Something wrong?"

"No, uh, you just startled me is all." Will gave a weak smile and rolled over. "What do you want?"

"Grace told me you were a baby when you were sick, she didn't tell me you were a bitch," Jack teased, feeling Will's forehead to see how the fever was.

Will muttered something Jack didn't catch and pulled the cover up higher. "Sorry."

Jack smiled. "It's alright; we're all a little nasty when we're sick. How're you feeling?"

"Like something is stomping on me," Will replied. He was whining more than anything.

"Would you like some pills?" Jack asked, grinning at Will's voice.

"Yeah," Will muttered. He curled up in a ball and watched Jack. "Thanks, buddy, I know I'm awful to be around when I'm sick. Luckily, it doesn't happen too often."

Jack smiled to himself as he took some Advil out of a drawer. "Don't worry about it, just get some rest."

Will nodded and closed his eyes. "Okay."

Jack rolled his eyes. "Take the Advil first!" He chuckled at Will who opened his eyes and smiled sheepishly.

Will dry swallowed the Advil and wished he had asked for a glass of water since his throat was so raw.

"Go to sleep," Jack whispered, kissed Will's cheek and walked out the door. Jack went into his living room and sank into the couch. He was tired but didn't want to fall asleep incase Will woke up and needed him.

-----

Grace walked into work and set her stuff down on the table. She didn't have any clients to work with, but she decided it would be best to come into the office and just catch up.

The phone ran and Grace jumped, not expecting to hear from anyone.

"Grace Adler Designs, this is Grace Adler speaking," Grace greeted. She was curious as to who would be calling.

"_Hello!" the person on the other end greeted. "My name's Joan Clark and I was wondering if you could design my master bedroom."_

"Of course," Grace replied. "When would you be available for me too see the room?"

"_Well, my family and I will be out of town until next Thursday. Would you be able to come next Friday?" Joan Clark asked. _

"Sure." Grace got her date book out and flipped to the Friday. "What time would be good for you, Mrs. Clark?"

"_Two O'Clock? Is that alright for you?" she asked._

"That's fine," Grace replied. "I'll see you then."

"_Thank you, good bye." Joan Clark hung up._

Grace hung the phone up as well and returned to sorting her things out. She looked up at the clock and rolled her eyes, Karen was late.

-----

Two hours later, Karen walked in to _Grace Adler Designs _and sat down in her chair. "Sorry, honey, Rosario wanted Friday off and I had to deny her food until she agreed that she would stay."

Grace stared at Karen. "How can you…" She noticed the confused look on Karen's face and stopped speaking. "Never mind."

Karen cocked her head to the side but shrugged. "Alright." She looked at Grace's clothes and raised an eyebrow. "Where've you been shopping? The Salvation Army? That blouse doesn't even match itself let alone those shoes!"

"Well, it might be a little out of style, but it is still very pretty!" Grace protested. She liked her green and yellow blouse and white shoes,

"Even blind people wouldn't think that was pretty!" Karen laughed at her own joke and picked up new nail polish and started to shake it.

Grace sat on her stool and picked up her lunch.

-----

Will woke up feeling a little better after the nap and the Advil Jack had given him. He was thirsty, so he got out of bed and went to the kitchen to get some water. He heard a sound coming from the couch and frowned, it didn't sound like the dog even if it did sound like whimpering.

Walking to the couch, he saw Jack was curled up and moaning. Will kneeled next to the couch and gently shook Jack, trying to wake him up. "Jackie, come on, sweetie, wake up."

Jack pulled away from Will and uttered three words, "Help me, Will…"

Will frowned, he knew what Jack was dreaming about now, but he hadn't thought Jack had called for help. "Jack, I'm right here, wake up!"

Jack's eyes opened and he stared at Will with a hopeless expression before adopting a concerned one. He pressed a hand against Will's forehead and smiled. "You're fever is almost gone. Do you feel better?"

Will did feel better, but he knew he was still sick and it annoyed him. "Yes, a little." He brushed Jack's concern off and concentrated on his own worry. He felt selfish for being sick, even though he knew there was nothing he could do about it. "How do _you _feel?" Will asked. "You're not better, so don't give me that."

"You're right, I'm not." Jack smiled sadly. "I thought I was."

"I know," Will replied. He turned his face away and coughed, he still wasn't well, even though the Advil had given him more strength.

"You're still really sick," Jack told him. "You should get back in bed." He pushed himself from the couch. "Come, I'll help you."

"Jack…" Will began, hoping to talk to his boyfriend and best friend.

"No!" Jack snapped, suddenly irritable. "Come on, you're sick and you need rest. I don't need to be the focus point right now!"

Will touched Jack gently. "I'm sorry." He started coughing again and the horrible feeling in his chest was returning. He needed to lie down and rest.

"Come, your sick." Jack took Will's hand and led him to the bedroom. If Will had looked at Jack's face closely, he would have seen tears glistening behind Jack's eyes.


	14. Alone

**Reviewer Responses:**

**Karens Chanel Sling Backs:** **LOL! It's OK that you haven't reviewed in a long time, I'm just happy you did so now! I love getting reviews! I'm happy you like what's been happening. Don't worry about Will, he'll be alright. This is a Jack fic, remember? Heehee. People seem to think I've forgotten what this fic is all about: Jack. I hope you continue to think that I've done well with these characters, I'm trying! Thanks for reading and reviewing!!**

**MattKensethFan:****I am so happy you like my fic!! You seem to be one of the few people who understand where I am going with it!! ::grins:: I hope with you that Jack will be truly happy. Don't worry about Will. Jack doesn't want to see anyone, it probably wouldn't help. I hated therapists. **

**Well, congratulations about being accepted into school!! That's wonderful! Where're you going? It's too bad you won't be able to write much anymore, but I do hope you continue to review and read my story. I have another one I'll be posting soon. **

**Thanks for reading!**

**Lamia Astaroth: I really like your story. It is sooooo good! I hope you update it again soon. I know you just updated, but I love it! It is so good. Thanks for the review!**

**Thank you to anyone I forgot. I am so sorry I missed you!**

**Chapter 14**

_And then last night I had that strange dream  
Where everything was exactly how it seemed  
Where concerns about the world getting warmer  
The people thought they were just being rewarded  
For treating others as they like to be treated  
For obeying stop signs and curing diseases  
For mailing letters with the address of the sender  
Now we can swim any day in November_

_ Don't wake me I plan on sleeping_

_-Postal Service _**(I think that's who sang this…)**

Jack knew better than to sleep next to Will, he didn't want to get sick. So, that night, Jack made himself a little bed on the couch and decided it would be best if he slept there. That way, he decided, he would be close to Will if he needed anything.

It was a restless night for Jack. He was worrying about everything that had happened in the last days and didn't know what to think. Will being sick was one more thing for him to worry about. It was hard for him to think about these things and he didn't know what to do. Everything that was bothering him seemed like things he could worry about alone, things that Will didn't need to think of. He felt that it wasn't fair to make Will concerned, especially since he was sick.

"I can do it alone," Jack whispered to himself. "I'll be fine eventually." He rolled over and shut his eyes, letting his lies lull him to sleep.

-----

Will woke up the next day around ten O'clock and felt much better. He decided it would be best if he didn't go in to work, but the next day he could go in and do what needed to be done. Pushing himself out of bed, he decided that if he still felt well that evening, he'd take Jack out to a movie or something that would get his mind of everything that had happened recently.

He walked into the living room and frowned when he saw Jack was sitting on the couch watching television. He had figured Jack would have gone to the gym or to see Karen. "Hey," Will greeted, sitting down next to Jack on the couch.

"Mmm," Jack replied, not responding much. It was as if he hadn't even noticed that Will had sat down next to him.

"What are you watching?" Will asked, turning his attention to the TV. He saw that Jack had turned _Cabaret_ on and felt awful. "I-I thought we were going to watch that together."

"You didn't want to," Jack replied, not taking his eyes from the television. "It's no big deal, besides, it's due back today."

"Sorry," Will replied. He was starting to shiver and got up to get a blanket from the bed. When he returned with the comforter, he saw that Jack had curled up into a ball and rested his head on the arm of the couch, asleep. "Jack?" Will asked, worried. He went over to his boyfriend and ran a hand through his hair. "Are you asleep?" He knew it was a stupid thing to ask since obviously Jack was sleeping.

Jack stirred, he hadn't been sleeping, but he had been close to it. "No," he whispered. "No, I'm awake." He opened his eyes and gazed sleepily up at Will. "Do you need anything? I'll get it for you." He made to get up from the couch, but Will pushed him back down.

"No," Will told him. "You need to sleep." He looked Jack over and a wave of worry overtook him when he saw the black bags under Jack's eyes and the paleness of his skin. "You're going to make yourself sick. When's the last time you got a good nights sleep?"

"I don't know." He shrugged. "A while ago, I guess." He smiled at Will and settled himself on the couch again. "Don't worry about me, Will; you're the one who's sick, not me. I'll be alright soon."

Will sighed; he knew Jack wasn't going to be alright soon. Everything that had been happening had affected Jack negatively and Will didn't know what to do about it. He wanted Jack to feel better and stop cooping himself up in the apartment. It wasn't healthy for Jack to stay in for days at a time, only going out to walk his dog or rent a movie. "I have to worry about you," Will replied. "I love you."

Jack smiled and closed his eyes, the smile lingering on his lips. "And I love you too."

There was a brief, comfortable silence before Jack's voice broke the peace.

"You ought to go back to bed and get some rest," he told Will.

Will sighed and leaned back against the couch. "I'm much better now, sweetie. I'll be fine tomorrow, don't worry about me."

Jack opened his eyes and sat up; scrutinizing Will to see if he was lying. "Well, alright. You wanna sit with me? The movie's just ended, but we both should probably take a nap."

Will smiled. "Okay, that sounds good." He leaned on Jack and closed his eyes, quickly falling off to sleep.

-----

Grace walked into work, carrying a coffee in one hand and a bag in the other. She was late, but didn't care because, like the day before, she had no clients coming in. She just wanted to check her messages and then head over to Rob and Ellen's. A while ago, she and Will had promised to visit them in New Jersey, but never had. Now that she and Leo weren't together anymore, Grace decided it would be a good idea to visit them.

Karen walked into the office and sat down at her desk. "Hi, honey," she greeted Grace. "Huh…" She looked at Grace's clothes. "Where'd you buy those things?"

"Will gave them to me," Grace replied absently while she listened to her messages.

"Oh..." Karen couldn't find anything wrong with Grace's outfit and looked through her purse to get pills. "I," she began, but pretended to gag, "like your clothes."

Grace looked up at Karen, incredulous. "Really?" She had never heard Karen say anything nice about her clothing before. "Are you sober?" she asked.

Karen popped a pill in her mouth. "Of course not, honey. Ahh, that's better." She began to rummage around in her purse looking for something.

"Who are you and what have you done with Karen?" Grace asked, looking around. "Are you her nice twin?"

Karen chuckled. "Oh, honey, you and your imagination." She shook her head and pulled a perfume out of her purse. "Here, those clothes your queer gave you smell awful." She got up and sprayed perfume all over Grace.

"Hey, Karen!" Grace cried. "Now I smell like alcohol! What is in that bottle anyway?" She snatched the bottle and sniffed it. "Whiskey!? Karen!"

Karen laughed maniacally and sat back down at her desk.

Grace rolled her eyes and walked towards the elevator. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Karen grunted and ignored Grace.

-----

Will woke up only forty-five minutes after he had dozed off. He hadn't really been too tired and thought it would be nice if he took a shower and changed into some of his own clothes.

He detached himself from Jack, grabbed his keys from the counter, and left the apartment. He needed to get some of his things from his room and take a shower. It would just be easier to shower at his apartment, so he took his clothes from his bedroom and went into the bathroom to shower.

Will hoped Jack didn't wake up while he was gone; it wouldn't be good for Jack to think Will had left him to do something. Will quickly took a shower and stepped out and dried off. He groaned when he looked in the mirror and saw he had a five O'clock shadow. Looking for his razor and shaving cream, he muttered to himself about how he should have shaved the day before.

-----

Jack had woken up the second Will had gotten up from the couch and left the apartment. He was confused and upset that Will had left and not told him where he was going. Jack felt that he should have been told because he didn't want to be alone; it was something that scared him.

"Why'd he go?" Jack asked himself. He looked around the apartment, wondering if maybe Will would be gone for the rest of the day. Jack hoped not, but knew it might be possible since Will had taken his keys.

Jack gasped and thought, _"He's turning into me! Milking a man for all he's worth and then leaving when you're tired of them!"_

-----

Will finished shaving and changed into his clothes. He wore comfy clothes and decided he had to buy more pants since he liked these so much. The bathroom didn't have a hamper for dirty clothes, so Will walked back to his bedroom and put Jack's clothes in his laundry bag, vowing to do the laundry the next day after work. He grabbed some other clothes for work the next day, and headed back over to Jack's apartment to spend more time with his boyfriend.

-----

Grace hated public transport in the middle of the day. The only people on the busses were crazy people and semi crazy people. She would have taken a taxi, but the bus was cheaper and she hadn't been able to hail a cab. Her clothes were in the bag she had on her lap. She was planning on spending the night at Rob and Ellen's so that she could spend time with their family.

A man boarded the bus and sat down next to Grace. "Hi," he greeted, his white teeth shining in a smile.

"Hi," Grace replied, finding herself smiling back at him despite herself.

"Where are you headed to?" the man asked.

"I'm visiting some friends of mine," Grace told him. She decided this man was perfect. He had dark brown hair and light green eyes, she found herself liking his looks more and more as she looked at him.

"That sounds like fun. I'm going to visit my sister, she lives in New Jersey." The guy smiled at Grace again. "I'm Dean, by the way."

"I'm Grace," Grace responded. "It's nice to meet you Dean. What's your sister's name?"

"Libba," Dean told her. "She moved to Jersey about six months ago with her husband and their daughter. I haven't seen them since they moved and I'm looking forward to meeting my new niece!"

"Are you married?" Grace found herself asking. She blushed when she realized she had said it.

Dean laughed. "No, I was engaged to a beautiful girl, but she decided that her landlord was better to sleep with."

"Aw, I'm sorry," Grace said sincerely. She felt bad for him; she knew how it felt to have someone you loved sleep with someone else.

"It's alright. What about yourself? A gorgeous girl like you can't be single!" He grinned at her.

"I'm divorced," Grace replied. "It's a long story; I'd rather not go in to it."

"Fair enough," Dean said and changed the subject.

-----

Will walked back in to Jack's apartment and frowned when he saw Jack was awake with silent tears running down his face while he looked deep in thought. He dropped his things on the counter and rushed over to the couch where Jack was. Ignoring the cough coming deep from his chest, he took Jack into an embrace and tilted his face upwards. "What's wrong?" he asked when his coughing had subsided.

Jack twitched as if he were coming out of a dream. "What? Oh, hi, Will."

"Jack, what's wrong?" Will asked. He watched as the tears kept spilling from Jack's eyes. "Why are you crying?"

"Why did you leave me?" Jack asked, tears starting to stop but his eyes still glassy and brimming with tears.

"I needed a shower and I didn't want to wake you up. I'm sorry; I didn't mean to leave you alone for a long time." Will kissed Jack's head.

"Oh, I thought you were tired of me." Jack looked at Will sadly.

Will wanted to cry himself when he saw the raw sadness in Jack's eyes. "No, never," Will whispered. "I love you."

"But you left me alone," Jack said. "You left me alone."

Will felt tears in his own eyes threatening to spill. "I didn't mean to," he repeated. "I didn't mean to make you feel bad."

Jack nestled up next to Will and hugged him. "I didn't want to be alone, but I'll be alright now that you're back."

Will smiled. "I hope so."


	15. Searching

**A/N** Soon this fic will end. Epilogue is coming up soon. Don't worry, though, there will be a sequel.

Thanks to **Adina-Anne**, **Lamia Astaroth**, **MattKensethFan**, **fieryflame**, **Karens Chanel Sling Backs**, and** Walnutwhip **for all of the lovely reviews. I don't have time for responses, but I thank you so much for the lovely reviews, I know I took a long time to update and I'm sorry it's so short!

**There are places I remember  
All my life, though some have changed  
Some forever, not for better  
Some have gone and some remain**

**All these places have their moments  
With lovers and friends I still can recall  
Some are dead and some are living  
In my life I've loved them all**

**But of all these friends and lovers  
There is no one compares with you  
And these memories lose their meaning  
When I think of love as something new**

**Though I know I'll never lose affection  
For people and things that went before  
I know I'll often stop and think about them  
In my life I love you more**

**-The Beatles**

Grace knocked on the door to Rob and Ellen's house and frowned when she didn't hear people coming to answer. She waited for a few minutes and then noticed a note on the door. Reading over it quickly she cursed, they had left for the hospital because Rob's mother was sick.

She reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone to call Will to see if he would come pick her up. She knew that he would have to drive a long way but she didn't think she could stand another minute on public transport. It was also getting late; if she was to leave she had to leave soon. She didn't feel safe being out in New Jersey late at night.

Dean had been nice, she thought, listening to the phone ring. "Damn it, Will, answer the phone!" she snapped as the answering machine came on. She waited for the machine to finish its song before she said, "Will, I just wanted to tell you that Rob's mother is in the hospital and I am standing outside their door."

She hung up her cell and decided it might be better to call Jack since Will must be over there. She would have phoned Dean but he hadn't given her his phone number. He had managed to get hers and had told her he would call her when he got back to the city. She sighed, wishing she could have asked for his.

"It wouldn't do me any good," she muttered to herself. "He wouldn't be there; he would be at his sister's house." Grumbling angrily, she punched Jack's number in and listened to it ring.

-----

"Phone," Jack mumbled sleepily as his phone rang. "Would you get it, Will?"

Will nodded and reached over to pick the phone up. "Hello?" he asked sleepily. As soon as he heard Grace's frightened voice on the other end he sobered. "What is it, Gracie?"

Jack opened an eye and looked at him.

"Yeah, well, alright, I guess I can. I'll have to rent a car but I'll do it. If you want, you could just call a taxi," he suggested.

_"No!" Grace whined on the other end. "It is getting dark over here and I don't want to get in a cab!"_

Will sighed. "Well, alright, I'll come. It'll take a little while, though. Traffic will be awful at this time of night. Can you get into their back yard or something? It isn't safe to stand out in the road."

_"Oh, of course," Grace said dryly. "I'll just hop the fence."_

Will snickered but started to cough a little. He held up a hand when Jack made to move towards him. When he had himself under control he said, "I'll be there as soon as I can. Try to get into their back yard or even to get the garage open or something."

_"Alright, I'll see you soon. Call me when you're close. Maybe one of their neighbors will let me in," Grace replied. She knew he was trying to keep her safe. "I'll see you. Bye."_

"See you soon. Bye, Grace," Will said and hung up the phone.

"What happened?" Jack asked, looking at Will intently. "Something wrong with Grace?"

Will nodded and got up from the couch and went towards the bedroom. "I have to go pick her up from Rob and Ellen's house. Rob's mother is in the hospital and Grace is locked out."

"You can't go, you're still sick," Jack pointed out. "Let's call Karen; she might get Driver to go get her. Or even lend you one of her cars."

Will thought for a moment. It was possible that Karen might lend them a car. It would certainly save him money on a rental. "Alright, go ask Karen if she'll let me borrow one of her cars. I don't feel safe having Karen's driver pick Grace up. She might forget."

Jack nodded. "Alright, I'll call her." He walked out of the bedroom as Will started to change into jeans and a shirt. "I'm going with you!" he called, picking the phone up.

-----

Grace paced outside of Rob and Ellen's house. She had asked one of the neighbors if they had a spare key but they had slammed the door in her face, saying that they didn't like Rob and Ellen. When she had tried another neighbor, their son had answered and told her that they didn't have a key but that she was welcome to come in and wait for her friend to pick her up. Grace had thanked him for the offer and told him she would rather wait outside incase her friend came and couldn't find her.

She watched cars pass her and she decided that she ought to do as Will had said and try to get into their back yard. Walking with her bags in tow, she went towards the gate that led to Rob and Ellen's back yard. She pushed on it and sighed in relief when it opened.

-----

"Karen said she'd let you borrow a car," Jack said to Will. "But she has some very strict rules about driving."

Will rolled his eyes. "Like what? No less than six bottles of alcohol in the car at a time?"

Jack made a face at him. "No, I think it's no less than eight."

Will snorted. "Come on; let's go over to Karen's." He opened the door and he and Jack walked towards the elevator.

When they got to the street, Will hailed a cab and gave the driver the address to Karen's. It wasn't too far, but Will didn't want to stress Grace out anymore than she had to be by making her wait even longer.

"Where's Grace at?" Jack asked. He hadn't really been paying much attention to where she had gotten off to.

Will gave him a look of annoyance before saying, "New Jersey to visit Rob and Ellen."

"Touchy!" Jack cried, hearing the irritation in Will's voice.

Will gave him a lopsided grin. "Sorry, I'm just a little worried about her." He looked out the window. "Oh, look, we're here."

Jack grinned back at Will and got out of the taxi as Will paid the driver. "Come on, Will! If we make Karen wait too long she won't want to come with us."

"Wonderful," Will muttered, walking into Karen's. He looked at Jack and noticed how happy he was. Will sighed, if Jack was happy he wouldn't make a sarcastic comment like he normally would have.

As they walked to Karen's door, Will started to cough. He held up a hand to Jack when Jack walked towards him. "I'll be fine, let's just go up and see Karen."

Jack nodded but the worry didn't leave his face.


End file.
